Leukemia In Children Research Paper

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Laquisha Bond
Awareness of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Children
Imagine waiting anxiously with your child at the hematologist. Suddenly, there is a knock on the door and your child?s doctor enters the room. According to lab results, there are 20% blast cells in the bone marrow resulting in a definitive diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia accounts for 80% of all childhood leukemia?s. ALL generally occurs in children younger than 15 years of age (Turgeon 316). Awareness of ALL requires an understanding of its causes, symptoms, and treatments.
ALL, the most prevalent form of childhood acute leukemia, is a blood cancer. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia occurs when bone marrow cells develop errors in its DNA (Mayo Clinic). Consequently, cell proliferation occurs without dividing; therefore, resulting in abnormal blood cell production. The bone marrow produces immature cells that develop into leukemic white blood cells called lymphoblasts (Mayo Clinic). Incapable of functioning properly, abnormal cells …show more content…

The main treatment for children with ALL is chemo, which has 3 phases: induction, consolidation, and maintenance (American Cancer Society). The goal of induction is to bring remission. Leukemia cells are no longer found in bone marrow samples and counts are normal. More than 95% of children with ALL go into remission after 1 month of treatment (American Cancer Society). Consolidation involves diminishing leukemic cells in obscure places. Several drugs are used to facilitate this process, depending on the child?s risk category. Children may benefit from a stem cell transplant at this time (American Cancer Society). Maintenance occurs if leukemia stays in remission successfully after receiving first two phases of treatment. The total length of therapy for all three phases is two to three years for most children with ALL (American Cancer

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