What is leukaemia?

You might have heard of leukaemia as a childhood cancer. It is true that some types of leukaemia mainly affect children. But most types are much more common in adults. In fact, around 3 in every 4 people with leukaemia are over 60.

We are here to support you

If you or someone you love has leukaemia, we’re here for you.

We do not know exactly what causes leukaemia.

• It is not because of anything you did or did not do.
• You cannot catch it or give it to other people.

Back to top

There are many types of leukaemia. Different types need different treatments. They are broadly grouped into acute leukaemia and chronic leukaemia. There are also other, rarer types of leukaemia.

Acute leukaemia

Acute leukaemia usually grows quickly and needs treatment straight away. There are two main types, depending on the type of cell they started in:

• Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
• Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

Chronic leukaemia

Chronic leukaemia usually grows slowly and may not need treatment straight away. It is more common than acute leukaemia. There are two main types, again depending on the type of cell they started in:

• Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
• Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)

Back to top

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are slow-growing blood cancers that develop when your bone marrow makes too many blood cells. There are different types of MPN depending on which type of blood cell is being over-produced. The most common ones are:

• Essential thrombocythaemia (ET)
• Polycythaemia vera (PV)
• Myelofibrosis (MF)

There are other, rarer MPNs, too.

Every day in the UK, about 14 people find out they have an MPN.

Back to top

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are slow-growing blood cancers. They develop when your bone marrow makes abnormal, immature blood cells that do not work properly. And your bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells. MDS is sometimes called bone marrow failure.

In the UK, around six people a day find out they have MDS.

Back to top

Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are rare types of blood cancer. They happen when cells in your bone marrow make:

• Too many of some types of blood cells
• Not enough of other types of blood cells
• Some blood cells that do not work properly

They have features that overlap two more common groups of blood cancer: myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms. So, their name combines the two.

More than two people in the UK find out they have MDS/MPN every day.

Back to top

There are many other types of blood cancer, too.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that develops in your lymphatic system from blood cells called lymphocytes. If you have lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes build up in your body, usually in your lymph nodes.

Myeloma

Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops in your bone marrow from blood cells called plasma cells. These can build up in your bone marrow and stop it making enough healthy blood cells. They also make abnormal proteins and chemicals that can cause problems in other parts of your body.

Back to top