Childhood Leukemia

Childhood Leukemia

Leukemia is most common in children When considering all childhood cancers, it is observed that about 30 percent of diseases are leukemia. Although childhood cancers have very comprehensive clinical signs, research should be conducted by suspecting some symptoms. These symptoms can be listed as follows:

Fast weight loss
Appetite
Paleness in color

Bruises or unexpected glands on the body that persist for a long time or gradually grow

Swelling in the abdomen
Joint pains

Persistent fever that persists for a long time and lasts for more than 5 days

Leukemia is divided into acute lymphoblastic and myeloblastic leukemia. About 95% of leukemias are acute leukemias. In addition, because the expected life expectancy in children is longer, early diagnosis and treatment are of great importance due to the higher success rates compared to adult cancers.

Treatment success rates are extremely high. Leukemia treatment is performed with chemotherapy drugs. Medications may differ depending on the type of leukemia. The type of drugs to be used, the dose, the method of administration are determined by the physician who will perform the treatment. The duration of chemotherapy usually lasts 24 months. Bone marrow transplantation is the first option in the treatment of some species, while in others it stands out as a method that should be resorted to only if the disease recurs. The success rates achieved in the treatment of leukemia in our country are at world standards with both chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.

Symptoms of Leukemia

Leukemia, which can be seen at any age from Decadence to adolescence, most often threatens children between the ages of 2 and 5. It is important that symptoms such as anemia, bruising are taken seriously by parents and referred to a doctor.

Bruises seen on the child should be taken seriously and a doctor should be consulted in these cases.

In the soft areas of the body,

Disproportionate in size with the severity of the impact,

Or if it occurs without any impact.

Local or widespread growth of bruises is an important finding during the physical examination performed by the doctor.

Bruises, if there is enlargement of the liver and spleen as well as the child’s state of Health is corrupted, and only the values of the CBC platelets are the blood cells, for example, white blood cells is also affected if red blood cells and hemoglobin, were due to a suspicion of an underlying cancer in general by referring to the table, further investigations are made.

Childhood cancers are in the group of curable diseases, and therefore, thanks to early diagnosis, the chances of a complete recovery of the disease are very high.

 Symptoms of Leukemia

Anemia (anemia) due to the paleness of the skin, easy bruising and bleeding due to low platelet levels without apparent cause, frequent recurrent high fever, sweats and chills, fatigue, exhaustion, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, neck, armpits, and/or lymph nodes are usually painless swelling in the groin area, pain or bleeding in the gums, bones or joints pain in leg pain in children that cause small red spots under the skin and bruises

After the examination, a complete blood count and a peripheral smear test are performed. In the peripheral smear test, blood cells are examined under a microscope. If there are abnormal blood cells in these tests, leukemia is diagnosed. But since leukemia is a cancer caused by the bone marrow, a definitive diagnosis is made by taking the bone marrow and examining it in the pathology, genetics and current cytometry laboratory. After the diagnosis of leukemia, the risk grouping of the disease is performed. High-risk patients are treated more intensively and for a long time, and some patients are treated with less intensity.

Bone Marrow / Stem Cell Transplantation is a treatment model applied after very high doses of chemotherapy in high-risk or recurrent lymphoma and solid tumors sensitive to chemotherapy, especially leukemia. The bone marrow or stem cells used for transplantation can belong to the patient himself (autologous), as is preferred especially in leukemias, the tissue group can be from a suitable donor (allogeneic). Currently, bone marrow transplantation can also be performed with stem cells taken from the patient’s siblings, mother, father, and children if they are older. In this method, called haploidentical transplantation, incompatible tissues in the received stem cell are extracted. Although haploidentic bone marrow transplantation carries more risks than other types of transplantation, these risks are approaching fully compatible transplants thanks to recent technological developments.

You can get more comprehensive information to get information about our bone marrow transplantation services performed for pediatric (children) and adults at our ME-MEDIST contracted hospitals Bone Marrow Transplantation Centers.