Disorders that affect the white blood cells are a broad group. They include cancerous, precancerous, and noncancerous (benign) conditions that may impact the functioning or levels of the body’s white blood cells. 

White blood cells are also called leukocytes. Several types work to protect the body from disease. Disorders of these blood cells, especially cancerous ones, can be deadly.

The most common cancerous conditions are lymphomas, leukemias, and myelomas. This article will cover these and other primary disorders of white blood cells. Leukocytosis (an elevated number of white blood cells) secondary to infection or inflammation is the most common condition affecting white blood cells.

This article will highlight important facts and statistics you should know about cancerous, precancerous, and functional white blood cell disorders.

White Blood Cell Disorders Overview

White blood cell disorders include conditions that are cancerous, precancerous, and noncancerous. Changes to the white blood cell levels are also often a sign of another type of condition, including an infection or other problems in the body.

There are many kinds of white blood cells, and they all play different roles in the immune system. The generic name for a white blood cell is a leukocyte. They develop from special cells in the bone marrow called hematopoietic stem cells, which can become any type of blood cell.

The four main types of cancerous, precancerous, and functional disorders that develop in white blood cells and are reviewed here are: 

  • Leukemias
  • Lymphomas
  • Myelomas
  • Other white blood cell disorders

How Common Are White Blood Cell Disorders?

As a whole, white blood cell disorders are pretty common. According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, one person is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma about every three minutes.

Estimates for 2021 were that 186,400 people in the United States would be diagnosed with one of these three white blood cell cancers. Together they make up almost 10% of new cancer cases each year.

More than 1.5 million people are living with or in remission from one of these white blood cell disorders in the United States. Someone dies from leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma every nine minutes—158 people a day or more than six people an hour.

Leukemias

Leukemia is a blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow when hematopoietic stem cells undergo a genetic mutation that allows them to grow out of control.

These out-of-control cells make abnormal white blood cells that don’t work right and don’t die when they usually would. These damaged cells can interfere with the functioning of other healthy cells.

There are four main types of leukemias based on the kinds of white blood cells affected and how aggressive the cancer is. Acute cancers progress faster and chronic ones progress slower. Myeloid and lymphoid cells are two types of stem cells in the bone marrow that give rise to different kinds of white blood cells.

These four types comprise 92% of all leukemias reported to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database. Other, rare types of leukemia make up the rest and include:

  • Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL): The least common of the four main types, making up 11% of all leukemias, ALL occurs mainly in children.
  • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): AML makes up 33% of all leukemias reported to SEER.
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): CLL is also common, making up 33% of leukemias in the SEER database.
  • Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML): CML Is less common, making up 15% of leukemias.

Fast facts on leukemias as a whole include:

  • Leukemia is the 11th most common cancer in the United States. Only about 1.5% of people will get leukemia during their lifetime. It was estimated that there would be about 60,650 new cases of leukemia in the United States in 2022 (3.2% of new cancer cases). It was estimated there would be about 24,000 deaths from leukemia in the United States in 2022 (3.9% of cancer deaths).Death rates fell on average 1.9% per year between 2010 and 2019.In 2019, about 472,714 people in the United States were living with leukemia.

Lymphomas

Lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system covers the entire body, moving fluid and immune system cells around the body. Lymphomas are generally classified into B-cell or T-cell cancers, although there are some that fall into the non-B-cell and non-T cell categories.

The lymphatic system consists of vessels transporting the lymph and lumps of tissue (lymph nodes, adenoids, and tonsils) and organs (the spleen, thymus gland, and bone marrow).

Lymphomas start when white blood cells undergo genetic mutations that make them grow out of control. These cancerous cells clump together in the tissues or organs of the lymphatic system or the skin, forming solid tumors.

There are two main lymphoma types–Hodgkin’s and non–Hodgkin’s. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is about 10 times more common than Hodgkin’s. Non-Hodgkin’s facts include:

  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the seventh most common cancer in the United States. Only about 2.1% of people will get non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was estimated there would be about 80,470 new cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the United States in 2022 (4.2% of new cancer cases). It was estimated there would be about 20,250 deaths from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the United States (3.3% of cancer deaths).New cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma fell by 1.7 cases per 100,000 people (from 21.0 to 18.7) between 2010 and 2019.Death rates fell by 1.2 cases per 100,000 (from 6.1 to 4.9) between 2010 and 2019.In 2019, about 763,400 people in the United States were living with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Myelomas

Myelomas are blood cancers that develop from plasma cells. Plasma cells live in the bone marrow, each making a specific antibody. Antibodies are particular proteins that help the body recognize and fight off germs.

On the road to becoming a normal plasma cell, a genetic change may happen that forms instead a malignant clonal cell that can produce malignant plasma cells. These malignant plasma cells may form a tumor that damages the bone.

These abnormal multiple myeloma cells produce excess amounts of a monoclonal antibody called M-protein. This protein can clump up and damage other body parts, including the kidneys.

Myeloma can be slow-growing and is sometimes found on routine blood testing before symptoms appear. Sometimes multiple myeloma is caught early on its course, is not considered active, and is asymptomatic. While one bone lesion may be identified, it is common for multiple bone lesions to be identified. This is why it is called multiple myeloma.

The NCI SEER database tracks myeloma cases as follows:

  • Myeloma is the 14th most common cancer In the United States. Only about 0.8% of people will get myeloma during their lifetime. It was estimated there would be about 34,470 new cases of myeloma in the United States in 2022 (1.8% of new cancer cases). It was estimated there would be about 12,640 deaths from myeloma in the United States in 2022 (2.1% of cancer deaths).New cases were stable between 2010 and 2019.Death rates per 100,000 people fell from 3.3 to 3.0 between 2010 and 2019.In 2019, there were about 159,787 people in the United States living with myeloma.

Other White Blood Cell Disorders  

In addition to white blood cell cancers, many less common white blood cell disorders exist. Some of these are cancers and precancerous conditions; others are genetic diseases. Most are relatively uncommon.

Myelodysplastic syndromes: Cancers develop when bone marrow stem cells are abnormal and can’t make enough white blood cells. Some patients go on to develop AML. Myelodysplastic syndromes facts include:

  • Between 2013 and 2017, about 75,500 Americans were diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes, about 15,000 cases annually.An estimated 58,471 people are living with or in remission from myelodysplastic syndromes in the United States.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms: Cancers develop when the bone marrow stem cells are abnormal and make too many white blood cells. These cells are usually irregular. These are also often called chronic leukemias. Myeloproliferative neoplasm statistics include:

  • Between 2013 and 2017, about 61,570 new myeloproliferative neoplasms were diagnosed in the United States, about 12,000 cases annually.Almost 100,000 Americans are living with or in remission from myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Plasma cell disorders: These precancerous white blood cell conditions may form before myeloma. These include monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and light chain amyloidosis.

Primary immune deficiency diseases: These are noncancerous disorders of the white blood cells due to genetic differences that affect the development of leukocytes. There are over 200 of these rare primary immune deficiency diseases.

In addition to these rare specific disorders of the white blood cells, many conditions can change the number of white blood cells in the blood. The two main changes in white blood cells that a healthcare provider might find are:

  • Leukopenia: A decrease in white blood cells
  • Leukocytosis: An increase in white blood cells

These aren’t conditions themselves but signal a healthcare provider that something is happening in the body.

White Blood Cell Disorders by Ethnicity and Gender

Because white blood cell disorders cover a wide variety of diseases, it’s difficult to generalize these as a group. Cancers of the white blood cells, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and myeloma, seem more common in men than in women. 

Specific differences in the most common types of white blood cell disorder by ethnicity that are worth noting are: 

  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas are more commonly diagnosed in White people.Myelomas are more commonly diagnosed in Black people.

Many of the cancers of the white blood cells are also more common in older people, though ALL is more common in childhood.

What Are the Mortality Rates for White Blood Cell Disorders?

The survival rates for various blood cancers and white blood cell disorders vary, but many are hopeful. Generally, the earlier a white blood cell disorder is found, the better your chance of survival. Five-year survival rates can drop quickly once cancer becomes aggressive. 

Summary

White blood cell disorders include conditions that are cancerous, precancerous, and noncancerous. The most common white blood cell disorders are cancers: leukemias, lymphomas, and myelomas. Other white blood cell disorders include myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative neoplasms, plasma cell disorders, and primary immune deficiency.

Survival Rates

A disease’s survival rate is the percentage of people who are still living for a specified amount of time. In this instance, the NCI goes by the five-year mark for its survival rates. But survival rates can be presented in several different ways.

Survival rates are not a prognosis (estimate of recovery) for an individual. Prognosis instead will depend on the characteristics of the person’s cancer, how it responds to treatment, the stage at which it is diagnosed, and the person’s overall health.

These diseases are all related to the white blood cells in the bone marrow or the lymphatic system. The white blood cells play an essential role in fighting off germs. These diseases have varying survival rates and are typically more common in men and older people.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do only kids get leukemia?
  • No. Most people who get leukemia are older. A type of leukemia called acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is more common in kids.
  • Learn More:
  • Leukemia Causes and Risk Factors

No. Most people who get leukemia are older. A type of leukemia called acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is more common in kids.

  • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Facts and statistics overview.
  • National Cancer Institute. Definition of white blood cell.
  • National Cancer Institute. Cancer stat facts: leukemia.
  • National Cancer Institute. Acute lymphocytic leukemia — cancer stat facts.
  • National Cancer Institute. Acute Myeloid Leukemia — Cancer Stat Facts
  • National Cancer Institute. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia — cancer stat facts.
  • National Cancer Institute. Chronic myeloid leukemia — cancer stat facts.
  • National Cancer Institute. SEER training: introduction to the lymphatic system.
  • American Cancer Society. What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
  • National Cancer Institute. Definition of solid tumor.
  • National Cancer Institute. Cancer stat facts: non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • American Cancer Society. What is multiple myeloma?
  • National Cancer Institute. Cancer stat facts: myeloma.
  • American Cancer Society. What are myelodysplastic syndromes?
  • National Institutes of Health. Chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.
  • National Institutes of Health. Types of primary immune deficiency diseases.

By Jennifer Welsh

Jennifer Welsh is a Connecticut-based science writer and editor with over ten years of experience under her belt. She’s previously worked and written for WIRED Science, The Scientist, Discover Magazine, LiveScience, and Business Insider.