Childhood cancer: leukemia

The blood is flooded with immature white blood cells.
Leukemia means "white blood". Leukemia occurs when the normal maturation process of white blood cells is disturbed in bone marrow and proliferate uncontrollably and cancerous stem cells, immature white explosively and are released into the blood. Therefore leukemias are also known as "blood cancer" or "bone cancer". Nearly half of all cancer-stricken children in Germany suffer from leukemia.


An accurate representation of the normal maturation stages of leukocytes can be found here.
The white blood cells, leukocytes, are an essential component in the immune system of the body. The leukocytes in the bone marrow. There are three basic types of white blood cells, granulocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes. All three basic types develop from a common bone marrow stem cell. Because of its many tasks, the different cell types need to be prepared and differentiated to their specific tasks. If this differentiation of leukemia no longer takes place. Remain the basic forms exist and can not take over the functions of the immune system, however. This leads to a displacement and a lower formation of other blood cells such as the normal red blood cells and platelets. The blood is increasingly flooded with immature white blood cells ".


There are various forms of leukemia - degenerate depending on the basic type of white blood cells.

Depending on the basic types of white blood cells degenerate, the leukemia can be distinguished:

* The lymphocytes are not mature, ie one of lymphocytic leukemia
* Granulocytes are not sufficient, it is called myelogenous leukemia

Of these, leukemias, there are both chronic and acute forms, so that the following diseases are:

* ALL = acute lymphocytic leukemia
* AML = Acute myeloid leukemia
* = Chronic lymphocytic leukemia CLL
* CML = Chronic myeloid leukemia

Mainly occur in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).


80 percent of the children suffering from ALL.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia with an incidence of 82 percent of leukemia occurring in children, the most common blood cancer in childhood. One in 2,000 children suffers from ALL. Especially often affects children 3 to 7 years. Typical symptoms of ALL are paleness, fatigue, anorexia, weight loss, leg pain, fever, frequent infections, bleeding, enlarged lymph nodes and enlargement of liver and spleen. The diagnosis is based on the complaints and the investigation findings as well as from the secondary clarification: blood test, histological examination of a tissue sample from the bone marrow, X-ray and ultrasound, scintigraphy and computed tomography. The treatment takes the form of chemotherapy, possibly a bone marrow transplant is considered. In this way, can achieve an average healing rate of 80 percent.


The AML concerns one of 12,000 children.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for 16 percent of childhood leukemias and comes in a frequency of 1 to illness per 12,000 children. Again, the typical symptoms consist of pallor, fatigue, anorexia, weight loss, leg pain, fever, frequent infections, bleeding, enlarged lymph nodes and enlargement of liver and spleen. The diagnosis is made based on complaints and physical examination findings, supplemented by blood tests, histological examination of bone marrow, X-ray and ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Again, the treatment in the form of chemotherapy is carried out, possibly supplemented by a bone marrow transplant. It can be achieved cure rates of an average of 60 percent.


The rarest form of leukemia in children is the CML.
Chronic myeloid leukemia accounts for about 3 to 5 percent of leukemia cases occurring in children. The symptoms are paleness, pronounced enlargement of the spleen and an enlarged liver of varying sizes. The diagnosis is based on the complaints and the findings of physical examination, blood tests and continue from the histological examination of tissue from the bone marrow. Again, the treatment with chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant is performed. The chance of recovery lies in the implementation of a bone marrow transplant at 70 percent.


The treatment is carried out in specialized clinics and is slow.
The treatment of affected children is carried out in specialized clinics, which have highly qualified personnel. In these centers, one is specifically designed to meet the needs of children with cancer. After several months of therapy and usually very intense in these specialist clinics is followed by a special term treatment, which can often be an outpatient basis. The duration of treatment is on average two years. The chance of recovery even without a bone marrow transplant generally very good. Bone marrow transplantation is often performed only when children do not respond to previous treatment, and there will be relapses. Bone marrow transplantation can significantly improve the survival chances of these children. If a child is a total of five years relapse-free, we can assume with high probability of a complete cure.