Feline leukemia vs. human leukemia

[AmberC]

OK on the vaccine thread I mentioned the leukemia shot for my cats....so here's the question.

Feline leukemia is caused by a virus, right? Human leukemia is a form of cancer? I'm just wondering how they are both called leukemia when they don't appear to be similar diseases. And also, feline leukemia is incurable, but human leukemia can be treated/go into remission. Can anyone clear this up?

[Newfygirl]

I've always understood that feline leukemia is kind of like AIDS in people - it affects the immune system etc. Thats a good question - I wonder why they are both called leukemia... Anyone?

[Deleted]

I do know that feline leukemia can also go into 'remission', or a stage where the cat can live comfortably with the disease for a period, but then again, so can HIV. I've always understood it to be similar to AIDS in the way the disease affect the animal. There's another difference, of course, in that FeLV is very contagious, human is not. I'm curious, too, as to why they call it by that name.

[Yip]

I am guessing the names begin with the same *leuk* prefix because both diseases affect/ pertain to white blood cells (leukocytes).

[KarenN]

Yip would be right!

[BarefootedBastard]

I think one of those "Plutos" should be reclassified and renamed. There shouldn't be a situation where a little girl with leukemia is holding her cat while it gets a vaccination for leukemia.