A client asks the nurse, "Is leukemia contagious?" How should the nurse respond?

A) This choice is incorrect because red blood cells are not directly involved in the body's immune response. Decreased red blood cells may cause anemia, but they are not responsible for frequent infections and recurrent fevers.

B) This choice is incorrect because platelets are involved in clotting and do not directly impact the body's immune response.

C) This choice is correct. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell responsible for fighting infections. In leukemia, particularly when neutrophils are affected, the body's ability to fight infections becomes compromised, leading to frequent infections and recurrent fevers.

D) This choice is incorrect because lymphocytes, specifically B-lymphocytes, are affected in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). While CLL can lead to increased susceptibility to infections, neutrophil dysfunction is more commonly associated with recurrent infections in leukemia.

A) This choice is incorrect because ALL does not result in the overproduction of red blood cells. It primarily affects lymphocytes, not red blood cells.

B) This choice is incorrect because ALL involves the overproduction of abnormal lymphocytes, not normal white blood cells. These abnormal lymphocytes crowd out normal cells.

C) This choice is correct. In ALL, the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal lymphocytes leads to the overcrowding of the bone marrow. As a result, normal bone marrow cells, including red blood cells, platelets, and other white blood cells, are suppressed, leading to various cytopenias.

D) This choice is incorrect because ALL does not cause the bone marrow to become fibrous and unable to produce any blood cells. That description is more characteristic of myelofibrosis, a different bone marrow disorder.