Other names
Leukemia in children Leukemia in children
Leukemia is a malignant disease of blood cells that originate in the bone marrow.
Leukemia deals with the development of a malignant blood cell without proper control or maturation, and its control over the spinal cord and affecting its normal activity.
Types of blood cells produced by the bone marrow
In healthy bone marrow, three types of cells are produced
Red blood cells that carry oxygen to tissues.
White blood cells that defend the body against the attack of germs and viruses.
Platelets that contribute to blood clotting and stopping bleeding.
Blast cell in the bloodstream can reach the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system, testicles, and other organs.
Leukemia is among the most common childhood malignancies, but it is rare and is reported in 4-5 cases per 100,000 children per year.
Symptoms of leukemia in children
Symptoms of leukemia in children are not specific and can not be approved only, and the possible symptoms are:
Anemia.
Exhaustion.
pallor of the skin
The patient''s tendency to bleed.
Exposure to frequent infections.
The appearance of pain in the bones.
Enlarged lymph nodes, liver, and spleen.
headache.
Enlarged testicles.
Causes and risk factors for leukemia in children
Learn about the causes of leukemia in children and risk factors
1. Causes of leukemia in children
Leukemia in children is caused by a change in the genetic code in the chromosomes, which causes uncontrolled growth, the causes of the defect in the genetic code are often not known, and specialists conducting epidemiological research are trying to find the link between leukemia and exposure to viruses, chemicals, radiation, and others.
In very rare cases, the role of genetics in leukemia increases, and in the majority of cases, the cause of leukemia is unknown, and the disease is not contagious.
2. Risk factors
The most important factors that increase the risk of developing leukemia are
Down''s syndrome.
The presence of hereditary immune diseases.
Having a family history of leukemia.
exposure to radiation
Immunodeficiency caused by organ transplantation and other procedures.
Complications of leukemia in children
The most important complications of leukemia in children are
Cancer growth in another site.
Cancer returns after treatment.
Heart and lung problems.
slow growth
difficulty learning
Osteoporosis.
Diagnosis of leukemia in children
The diagnosis is made based on
blood test.
Spinal marrow examination.
Spinal fluid examination.
A lymph node biopsy.
Various imaging tests.
Sometimes the diagnosis is not made directly and there is a need for frequent examinations in order to confirm it, and there is a need to accurately distinguish the ameloblast cells, and determine the leukemia subtype in order to choose the optimal treatment.
Treatment of leukemia in children
Recent years have witnessed a remarkable improvement in the results of treating leukemia in children, and today we are witnessing a significant increase in the percentage of children who recover from the disease, which is about 75% in lymphoblastic leukemia, and more than 50% in myeloid leukemia.
Advances have occurred in the area of accurate diagnosis, anti-leukemia therapy, and supportive therapy.
1. Treatment ion method
The treatment of leukemia in children is carried out according to international protocols that have proven to be effective in treating a large number of sick children, the treatment and intensity of which are specially adapted to the risk group faced by the patient.
The risk group is defined as follows
The patient''s age.
The number of malignant cells in the blood.
Characteristics of the blastula cell membrane.
Genetic and chromosomal changes in leukemia cells.
Rapid response to initial treatment.
2. Treatment of leukemia in children
Anti-leukemia treatment depends mainly on the combination of chemotherapeutic drugs, and in more distant cases, radiotherapy, or spinal marrow transplantation.
Recently, drugs specifically targeted to treat the genetic change in the leukemia cell, and drugs that bind to leukemia cells binding antigens, have been added.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves a mixture of drugs that are taken in stages
The induction phase lasts for several weeks.
The stage of intensification (intensification) and lasts for several months, and in this stage the treatment is given by administering the drug intravenously.
Preventive treatment is given orally for a period of one to two years. The patient is also given a treatment that limits the spread of the disease to the central nervous system by chemical injections of the vertebral canal fluid, and in rare cases, radiotherapy to the brain.
Chemotherapy may result in immediate and late complications, in general, the common immediate complications stem from a decrease in the amount of blood cells, and injury to the immune system, hence the need to provide an native to blood cells and platelets in addition to a strong and immediate treatment for each infection or just suspicion of infection.
Late complications are related to the type of chemotherapy and radiology and can appear in different organs and in an increasing percentage of secondary tumors.
In planning the optimal treatment, in addition to eliminating the leukemia cells, we aim to minimize late side effects as much as possible.
bone marrow transplant
When the leukemia is in its most advanced stage, the treatment is enhanced with a SMT.
Prevention of leukemia in children
Because the main cause of the disease is not known, there is no clear way to prevent it.
Common types
The main types of leukemia in children are
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
It is the most common among other types of childhood leukemia by 75% - 80%. The source of the malignant cell are lymphocytes, which are the cells usually responsible for producing antibodies and eliminating viruses.
Acute myeloblastic leukemia
One-fifth of pediatric leukemia cases account for 15%-20%. The source of the cell is white cells that engulf and kill germs and parasites.
Chronic myeloid leukemia
It is a relatively rare condition, and in this type the malignant myeloid cell is the cause, but in a more mature stage, and it often carries a special genetic change.
Each basic type of leukemia includes additional subtypes that are characteristic of the cell membrane and specific changes in the genes and chromosomes of the blastocysts that cause different biological behavior and response to treatment, and as a consequence different degrees of risk and different prospects for cure.
