Low-proliferative leukemia is a specific type of leukemia that is less common in clinical practice. The patient often has dizziness, panic, infection, and bleeding as the first symptoms, and at the time of presentation has a decrease in all white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets, which is different from the commonly understood “leukemia” characterized by an increase in white blood cells.
Low proliferative leukemia is similar to aplastic anemia because of the peripheral blood picture and the same low level of bone marrow proliferation, which can be confused.
In addition, hypoproliferative leukemia is poorly treated because of its insidious onset and slow progression, and because patients are mostly middle-aged and elderly, with low hematopoietic function and immunity, and often cannot tolerate conventional larger chemotherapy.
Dr. Li Xin of the Department of Hematology at Shanghai Renji Hospital South Hospital also contributed to this Q&A