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Leukemia at Winship Cancer Institute  Introduction to Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming cells. When leukemia
develops, the body produces large numbers of abnormal blood
cells that appear and behave differently from normal blood
cells. To better understand what happens when you have leukemia,
it is helpful first to know about normal blood.  Normal Blood:
The blood has two components: a liquid part called plasma, and a
cellular part or the blood cells. There are three major types of
blood cells: red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs),
and platelets. All these cells are produced in the bone marrow
(soft tissue inside the bones).    • The role of the RBCs is to
carry oxygen throughout the body to different tissues. The
percentage of RBCs in the blood is called the hematocrit. The
part of the RBC that carries oxygen is a protein called
hemoglobin. Anemia occurs when there is a decrease in the number
of RBCs in the body and is de