Childhood Leukemia Summary Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. It is the most common type of childhood cancer. Your blood cells form in your bone marrow. White blood cells help your body fight infection. In leukemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells. These cells crowd out the healthy blood cells, making it hard for blood to do its work. Leukemia can develop quickly or slowly. Acute leukemia is a fast growing type while chronic leukemia grows slowly. Children with leukemia usually have one of the acute types. Symptoms include Infections Fever Loss of appetite Tiredness Easy bruising or bleeding Swollen lymph nodes Night sweats Shortness of breath Pain in the bones or joints Risk factors for childhood leukemia include having a brother or sister with leukemia, having certain genetic disorders and having had radiation or chemotherapy. Treatment often cures childhood leukemia. Treatment options include chemotherapy, other drug therapy and radiation. In some cases bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation might help. NIH: National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute Diagnosis and Tests Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia College of American Pathologists BCR-ABL1: Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry How Is Childhood Leukemia Classified? American Cancer Society How Is Childhood Leukemia Diagnosed? American Cancer Society MedlinePlus: Blood Count Tests National Library of Medicine Stages of Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Other Myeloid Malignancies National Cancer Institute What Are Bone Marrow Tests? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Specifics Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Array Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) — children Bone marrow transplant Leukemia Encyclopedia After chemotherapy – discharge B and T cell screen Bone marrow biopsy Bone marrow transplant – discharge Bone-marrow transplant – slideshow Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) Cryoglobulins Eating extra calories when you are sick – children Fibrinopeptide A blood test T-cell count Find an Expert American Cancer Society American Cancer Society Find a Cancer Doctor American Society of Clinical Oncology Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Leukemia & Lymphoma Society National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute NCI Designated Cancer Centers National Cancer Institute Treatments and Therapies Blood Transfusion Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Immunotherapy (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Integrative Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Therapies Leukemia & Lymphoma Society MedlinePlus: Bone Marrow Transplantation National Library of Medicine Prognostic Factors in Childhood Leukemia (ALL or AML) American Cancer Society Treatment of Children with APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia) American Cancer Society Treatment Option Overview (Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) National Cancer Institute Treatment Option Overview (Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia/Other Myeloid Malignancies) National Cancer Institute Treatment Options for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia National Cancer Institute Treatment Options for Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Childhood Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia, and Myelodysplastic Syndromes National Cancer Institute Understanding Side Effects of Drug Therapy Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Statistics and Research Cancer in Children and Adolescents National Cancer Institute What Are the Key Statistics for Childhood Leukemia? American Cancer Society NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Cancer Strikes Out!/Definitions/ Glossary/ Common Types Curing Children’s Cancer Start Here Childhood Cancer: Leukemia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation General Information about Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia National Cancer Institute General Information about Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Other Myeloid Malignancies National Cancer Institute What Is Childhood Leukemia? American Cancer Society Living With Children Diagnosed with Cancer: Returning to School American Cancer Society Children with Cancer: A Guide for Parents National Cancer Institute Coping with Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Parents Who Have a Child with Cancer National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Childhood Leukemia National Institutes of Health Related Issues Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer National Cancer Institute Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (PDQ) National Cancer Institute Journal Articles Childhood Leukemia Prevention and Risk Factors Risk Groups for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia National Cancer Institute What Are the Risk Factors for Childhood Leukemia? American Cancer Society Symptoms Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Leukemia American Cancer Society Children Some Kinds of Cancer Kids Get Nemours Foundation Teenagers Types of Cancer Teens Get Nemours Foundation Patient Handouts Understanding Chemotherapy National Cancer Institute
