What effect does leukemia have on the blood composition?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that primarily affects the bone marrow and blood. One of the hallmark features of leukemia is the abnormal production of white blood cells. Instead of producing normal, functional white blood cells, the body produces large numbers of immature and dysfunctional ones, leading to an increase in white blood cell counts. This abnormal proliferation can crowd out the normal blood cells, resulting in a range of complications.

The increase in white blood cells does not translate to an effective immune response because these leukemia cells are often deficient in fighting infections. This contributes to a higher vulnerability to infections despite the elevated white cell counts. Furthermore, the overproduction of these abnormal cells can interfere with the production of red blood cells and platelets, leading to anemia and increased risk of bleeding, respectively.

Thus, recognizing that the characteristic feature of leukemia is an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells, often accompanied by impairment in the production of healthy blood cell types, clarifies why the choice regarding the abnormal increase in white blood cell production is the accurate response.