Acute

A sudden onset of symptoms or disease

Anemia

A condition whereby the body has a decreased number of red blood cells. Symptoms may include tiredness, shortness of breath, and weakness. Due to the variety of conditions it causes a destruction of RBCs, excess blood loss, or decreased production of RBCs

Aplasia

Failure of a tissue or organ to develop normally

Aplastic

Anemia caused by aplasia of bone marrow or its destruction by chemical agents or physical factors

Antigen

Any substance that causes the body to produce natural antibodies

Autoimmunity

A condition in which the body's immune system mistakenly fights and rejects the body's own tissues

Blast Crisis

A phase in chronic leukemia that mimics acute leukemia (blasts > 30%)

Blood count

The number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in a sample of blood

Bone marrow suppression

A decrease in the production of blood cells

Cancer

A group of diseases in which malignant cells grow out of control and spread to other parts of the body

Chemotherapy

The treatment of cancer with drugs

Chronic

Persisting over a long period of time

Colony-stimulating factor (CSF)

An injectable substance used to stimulate the bone marrow to produce more cells.