How does the rise in the number of white blood cells in leukemia differ from the rise during an infection?

Question

How does the rise in the number of white blood cells in leukemia differ from the rise during an infection?

Answer 1

Leukemia differs from a simple rise in wbc numbers (leukocytosis) in a couple of ways.  First, the increase in wbcs seen in (sych as in response to an infection) is not nearly as profound an increase.  Also, these cells are normal in appearance and function normally.

Second, and more importantly the cells that are causing the increase in a leukemia are abnormal in appearance and in function.  A trained hematologist (like myself) can easily tell the difference betweena leukemic cell and a normal cell.

Answer 2

In leukemia, the white blood cells are cancer cells. They reproduce uncontrollably.