leucemia
/leuˈθemja/feminine
Leukemia in Spanish is leucemia.
The term refers to cancer of the blood-forming tissue.
Meaning: cancer of blood forming tissue (noun)
Which one should you use?
While leucemia is the standard term, you may encounter more specific formal variations such as leucemia maligna (malignant leukemia), leucemia aguda (acute leukemia) and leucemia crónica (chronic leukemia).
How does it change in a sentence?
leucemia is a feminine noun, so it is used with the feminine article la (e.g., la leucemia).
How do you pronounce it?
/leuˈθemja/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly include a k in the spelling as in the English word, but in Spanish, the sound is represented by c.
Did you know?
- Although based on Greek roots, the Spanish word leucemia actually entered the language as a borrowing from the German term Leukämie.
- While leucemia is the standard term, patients in some Spanish-speaking regions may colloquially refer to blood cancers simply as la enfermedad de la sangre.
- The suffix -emia is used in Spanish for various blood conditions, such as anemia or glucemia, and all these terms are always feminine.
Examples in context
- A mi tío le han diagnosticado leucemia.My uncle has been diagnosed with leukemia.This sentence is useful for showing how to express a diagnosis using leucemia.Tatoeba #674244 by Shishir, translation #674068 by CK
- Tengo leucemia.I have leukemia.This sentence is useful for expressing that one has leucemia.Tatoeba #10696323 by Shishir, translation #10701126 by AlanF_US
- El paciente fue diagnosticado con leucemiaThe patient was diagnosed with leukemia
- El tratamiento para la leucemia maligna ha avanzado muchoThe treatment for malignant leukemia has advanced significantly
- La leucemia aguda requiere un tratamiento inmediatoAcute leukemia requires immediate treatment
- La leucemia crónica progresa lentamenteChronic leukemia progresses slowly
- Mi sobrino fue diagnosticado con cáncer en la sangreMy nephew was diagnosed with cancer in the blood
- La leucemia es una enfermedad difícil.Leukemia is a difficult disease.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a medical report at a cafe.
- Mateo¿Qué dijo el médico sobre los resultados?What did the doctor say about the results?
- MaríaConfirmó que es leucemia.He confirmed that it is leukemia.
- MateoLo siento mucho, María.I am so sorry, María.
- MaríaGracias, Mateo, por tu apoyo.Thank you, Mateo, for your support.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leukemia” translations and entries leucemia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries leucemia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
