Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is
a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many immature lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell)
. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (also called ALL or acute lymphocytic leukemia) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
How common is childhood ALL?
Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens, accounting for almost 1 out of 3 cancers. Overall, however, childhood leukemia is a rare disease.
About 3 out of 4 leukemias among children and teens
are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
What is the cause of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia?
The exact cause of most childhood leukemias
is not known
. Most children with leukemia do not have any known risk factors. Still, scientists have learned that certain changes in the DNA inside normal bone marrow cells can cause them to grow out of control and become leukemia cells.
Are ALL children curable?
About 98% of children with ALL go into remission within weeks after starting treatment.
About 90% of those children can be cured
. Patients are considered cured after 10 years in remission.
What are the first signs commonly seen in the child with acute lymphocytic leukemia?
- Anemia. …
- Bleeding and/or bruising. …
- Bone and joint pain. …
- Recurrent fevers/infections. …
- Abdominal pain. …
- Swollen lymph nodes. …
- Difficulty breathing.
What are symptoms of leukemia in a child?
- Pale skin.
- Feeling tired, weak, or cold.
- Dizziness.
- Headaches.
- Shortness of breath, trouble breathing.
- Frequent or long-term infections.
- Fever.
- Easy bruising or bleeding, such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums.
What do leukemia spots look like?
Leukemia cutis appears as
red or purplish red
, and it occasionally looks dark red or brown. It affects the outer skin layer, the inner skin layer, and the layer of tissue beneath the skin. The rash can involve flushed skin, plaques, and scaly lesions. It most commonly appears on the trunk, arms, and legs.
What can trigger leukemia?
- A genetic predisposition.
- Down syndrome.
- Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Exposure to petrochemicals, such as benzene.
- Extensive exposure to artificial ionizing radiation.
- Alkylating chemotherapy agents administered to treat other types of cancer.
What are the final stages of leukemia?
- Slow breathing with long pauses; noisy breathing with congestion.
- Cool skin that may turn a bluish, dusky color, especially in the hands and feet.
- Dryness of mouth and lips.
- Decreased amount of urine.
- Loss of bladder and bowel control.
- Restlessness or repetitive, involuntary movements.
How does leukemia start?
Leukemia starts
when the DNA of a single cell in the bone marrow changes (mutates)
and can’t develop and function normally. Treatments for leukemia depend on the type of leukemia you have, your age and overall health, and if the leukemia has spread to other organs or tissues.
What is the survival rate of a child with leukemia?
The
5-year survival rate for children 0 to 14 is 91%
. The 5-year survival rate for people ages 15 to 19 is 75% For children diagnosed with acute leukemia, those who remain free from the disease after 5 years are generally considered “cured” because it is rare for acute leukemia to recur after this amount of time.
How does a child with leukemia act?
A toddler with leukemia will
behave
differently from a school-aged child. Crying, anger, fussiness, acting out, or tantrums can all be normal behaviours for younger children at certain times. School-aged children may feel more guilty or nervous about what is happening.
What is the 5-year survival rate for children with ALL?
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
The 5-year survival rate for children with ALL has greatly increased over time and is now
about 90%
overall.
What is acute leukemia children?
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is
a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many immature lymphocytes
(a type of white blood cell). Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (also called ALL or acute lymphocytic leukemia) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
What is high risk ALL?
High-risk ALL
Your child is considered high risk if they have any of the following features:
less than age one or older than ten years of age
.
more than 50,000 white blood cells/mm3 of blood when
they are diagnosed. More than 5 leukemic cells in the CSF (CNS 3)
Who is at risk for acute lymphocytic leukemia?
In general, ALL is most likely to affect
children and older adults
. The following factors may raise a person’s risk of developing ALL: Age. Children younger than 15 and adults older than 50 are more likely to develop ALL.
