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Children Suffering

It is a surprising fact that a large number of children suffer from leukaemia, when compared with adults suffering from the same disease. This is because the immunity system of a child is not as strong as that of an adult. Then, if there are cases of leukaemia in the family, there is a chance that the child is going to suffer from leukaemia, because there are plenty of genetic factors that are taken into account.

There is some missing protein in the DNA, which makes children more susceptible to leukaemia, especially when there is the question of this missing link being inherited from either parent' side. If a child is suffering from Down syndrome, there is a chance that he is going to suffer from leukaemia also. That should immediately showed researchers that there is a significant protein missing in the genetic makeup, which is the cause of Down's syndrome as well as leukaemia.

Children suffering from leukaemia are going to be suffering from acute cases in which the abnormal cells start multiplying fast. The symptoms are going to be anaemia, fever, weight loss, and fatigue, pain in the bones and the joints and continuous cases of infection. The number of infections repeating repeatedly should show the caretaker that there is something drastically wrong with the immunity system of the child. There are also a number of genetic syndromes, which are inherited by the extremely rare, which cause leukemia in children. This means that there is an abnormality in the chromosome, and because of that missing part, the body is vulnerable to a leukaemia attack. Most of the standard treatment for ALL uses chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the initial treatment of choice.

Stem cell transplantation is used instead of consolidative chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is used on painful bony areas, in high disease burdens, or as part of the preparations for a bone marrow transplant (total body irradiation). Stem cell transplant is also used for consolidation therapy. It is similar to bone marrow transplant except the stem cells are collected from circulating blood (peripheral blood). Induction therapy for children with AML starts with two or three drugs. Stronger treatment is needed after a child with AML is in remission. This is called intensive consolidation therapy. It is given because usually some AML cells remain after induction therapy. Allergenic stem cell transplant can be a high-risk procedure. For this reason, it may not be a good treatment for some AML patients. Bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT) offers some patients the best chance for a long-term remission of their disease.

• Chromosome abnormalities: Some rare genetic syndromes are known to contribute to leukaemia causes;
• Immune system genetic problems
: A weak immune system is very likely to facilitate the occurrence of leukaemia and therefore can be considered a leukaemia cause;
• Down syndrome: Children born with this syndrome have a very high risk of developing acute leukaemia.

The list of possible leukaemia causes can continue further, but these are the most common factors that are considered to be interrelated with leukaemia. While some of them can be prevented, others reside within the genes and in present cannot be corrected. In future, however, thanks to medical advance, we will probably be able to prevent leukaemia and other forms of cancer.