A nurse is providing education to a client newly diagnosed with leukemia. The client asks, "Is leukemia a genetic condition?" How should the nurse respond?

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.

A) This choice is incorrect because the lymphatic system does not filter and remove abnormal blood cells in leukemia. The role of the lymphatic system is primarily related to the circulation of lymph fluid and the immune response, not the removal of abnormal blood cells.

B) This choice is incorrect because the lymphatic system is not responsible for producing and releasing abnormal white blood cells in leukemia. Leukemia originates from the bone marrow, not the lymphatic system.

C) This choice is correct. Leukemia is primarily a disorder of the bone marrow and blood. It does not directly involve the lymphatic system, which is responsible for carrying lymph fluid and supporting the body's immune function.

D) This choice is incorrect because while cancerous cells may infiltrate other organs and tissues in other types of cancer, leukemia primarily affects the bone marrow and blood, not the lymphatic system.

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