Leukaemia

Leukaemia is a form of cancer that attacks white blood cells.

Normally white blood cells fight infection in the body, protecting is from germs, cold virus and even things like wood splinters under the skin! White Blood Cells are generated by the body in the bone marrow. When leukaemia attacks the teen, the bone marrow continues to produce white blood cells but it produces them at a much early stage meaning that they are no longer able to do their job (of protecting the body from infection) properly. The number of immature cells produced continues until the bone marrow is completely swamped by them, they then begin to interfere with the bone marrows production of other cells such as red blood cells and platelets.

There are a few different types of leukaemia but acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and myeloid leukaemia are the two which affect teenagers the most.