The marrow can no longer produce enough healthy red and white blood cells and platelets. The loss of red cells leads to anemia. The lack of functional white cells impairs the body's ability to fight infections. A shortage of platelets results in bruising and easy bleeding. Myelogenous and lymphocytic denote the cell type involved.
Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that affects mostly immature cells.
Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly and involves greater numbers of more mature cells. Leukemia can affect anyone. Most cases affect older adults, however, among children ages 1-14, leukemia causes more deaths in the U.S. than any other disease. The LSA programs include research funding, patient services, advocacy, community service, and education. In the research funding program, LSA supports basic and clinical grants to find causes, cures, and preventative methods of leukemia and its related diseases.