What is leukemia?

Leukemia is a cancer that produces abnormal white blood cells. These flawed cells interfere with healthy white cells, red cells and platelets. Leukemia cells originate in the bone marrow then move into the bloodstream, spreading throughout the body. Leukemia may cause enlarged lymph nodes, liver, or spleen.

What are the sypmtoms of leukemia?

Common symptoms include fatigue, fevers, bleeding, bruising, pallor, and pain in the bones or joints. While these sypmptoms may also appear in other childhood illnesses, they worsen indicating leukemia. Testing blood and bone marrow confirms the diagnosis.

How common is leukemia?

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and account for just over 25 percent of all cancers in Canadian children and teens. Approximately 320 young people are diaganosed with leukemia each year and its occurance is about 20 percent higher in boys than girls. The most common types of leukemia are acute lymphoblastic and non-lymphoblastic.

What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Approximately 75% of childhood leukemias are acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Evidence suggests that children with immunodeficiency disorders are at a higher risk of developing ALL. It appears that ALL is related to either a disorder in the initial development of the immune system or an unusual response of the immune system to an unknown infectious agent.

How is ALL treated?

Children with ALL often receive intensive chemotherapy for 2-3 years. This is usually done on an "outpatient" basis. This treatment aims to eliminate all leukemia cells. Some children are also treated with radiation. 30% of children will have a relapse and for these children, bone marrow transplant often improves survival rates.

What is acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia?

Approximately 25% of childhood leukemias are acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia and come from cells that should have developed into cells such as platelets, red blood cells, monocytes, and granulocytes. Children with Downs syndrome have 10-15 times the risk of developing this type of leukemia compared to the general population of children.

How is acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia treated?

The treatment of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia is considerably more intensive than the treatment of ALL. Bone marrow transplant is used frequently in addition to chemotherapy. Approximately 70-90 % of children with this type of leukemia achieve remission, and 40-50% of these become long-term survivors.