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Although coughing up blood can only mean either lung cancer (no cure) or tuberculosis (can be cured), the situation with Ukitake is really much simpler. It all comes down to the fact that (once again) this is shounen manga and Ukitake is the archetypical "frail samurai", just like Rurouni Kenshin and Ukyo Tachibana (samurai shodown). Sure, he could be healed, but that would ruin the image Kubo wants him to have. The archetypical "frail samurai" is supposed to be physically weak yet unbeatable in swordsmanship. These characters usually remain undefeated 'till their disease kills them. Didn't Genryusai mention that Kouryaku and Ukitake were his two undefeated students when he was about to fight them in the SS arc?
What would be left of Ukitake if it wasn't for his illness? He'd either be the male version of Unohana or a kinder, humbler version of Byakuya. In other words he'd be boring as hell.
Besides, if fans pressured Kubo to explain Ukitake's situation he'd probably come up with a half assed chapter that would dissapoint everyone and Ukitake would still be the way he is now, albeit with a lame background story. So it's better if we don't know and he maintains some mystery.
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