Leukaemia is cancer of the blood cells, starting in blood-forming tissue such
as bone marrow. Marrow makes the cells that become white blood cells (which
fight infection), red blood cells (which carry oxygen) and platelets (which
clot). In leukaemia the marrow makes large numbers of abnormal cells, usually
white cells, which build up and crowd out the healthy ones.
Acute and chronic, and which children get which
| Type | In children | |
|---|---|---|
| Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) | Too many lymphocytes, a type of white cell | The most common leukaemia in children, and the most common childhood cancer of any kind |
| Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) | Abnormal myeloblasts, red cells or platelets | The other common acute type |
| Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) | Abnormal lymphocytes | Rare; more common in teenagers than younger children |
| Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) | Abnormal granulocytes | Very rare in children |
Acute means fast-growing, and it usually worsens quickly without
treatment. Chronic means slow-growing, worsening over a longer period —
and chronic leukaemia may cause no symptoms at first.
Most childhood leukaemias are acute. There are also rarer types, including
juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia.
Cause and risk
Leukaemia happens when the DNA in bone marrow cells changes. **The cause of
those changes is unknown.** Factors that raise the risk:
- Having a brother or sister, especially a twin, with leukaemia
- Past chemotherapy
- Radiation exposure, including radiation therapy
- Certain genetic conditions: ataxia telangiectasia, Down syndrome,
Fanconi anaemia, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1
Symptoms
Feeling tired · fever or night sweats · easy bruising or bleeding · weight
loss or loss of appetite · petechiae, tiny red dots under the skin caused
by bleeding.
Other symptoms differ by type.
Diagnosis
A physical exam and medical history, then blood tests such as a complete
blood count, and bone marrow tests — aspiration and biopsy, both taking a
sample of marrow and bone for the lab — plus genetic tests for gene and
chromosome changes. After a diagnosis, imaging and a lumbar puncture
(collecting cerebrospinal fluid) show whether it has spread.
Treatment, and the part that comes later
Treatment depends on the type, the severity, the child's age and other
factors: **chemotherapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy with a stem cell
transplant**, and targeted therapy, which attacks specific cancer cells
with less harm to normal ones.
Treatment for childhood leukaemia is often successful. And the treatments
can cause complications right away or later in life — which is why care for
a child treated for leukaemia does not end when the leukaemia does.
Source: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Лицензия: CC0 1.0 (общественное достояние) · По материалам medlineplus.gov
1
0
0
0
Комментарии
Читать дальше
