Leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a cancer that affects the white blood cells. These cells fight against infection in our body. Patients with ALL have too many immature white blood cells in their bone marrow. These immature cells decreases the production of other normal blood cells. ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer. It most often occurs in children ages 3 to 5 and affects slightly more boys than girls

Symptoms

• Frequent infections
• Fever
• Easy bruising
• Bleeding
• Dark-red skin spots due to bleeding under the skin
• Pain in the bones or joints
• Lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach or groin
• Pain or fullness below the ribs
• Weakness, fatigue
• Paleness
• Loss of appetite
• Shortness of breath

Treatment

Chemotherapy treatment for a child with ALL includes three phases:

• Induction
  to kill the leukaemia cells in the blood and bone marrow and put the disease into remission (a return to normal blood cell counts)
• Consolidation/intensification
  To get rid the body of any remaining cells that could begin to grow and cause the leukaemia to return (relapse)
• Maintenance
  to destroy any cancer cells that might have survived the first two phases

• Stem cell transplant — it is indicated for relapsed or some high risk ALL
• Targeted therapy — uses medicines or other treatments that target and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

Survival rates for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

About 90% of those children can be cured. Patients are considered cured after 10 years in remission.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), is a blood cancer affecting myeloid white blood cells, produced in bone marrow.These cells become abnormal and occupy the bone marrow space.

Symptoms

• Unexplained Fever
• Frequent Infections
• Bleeding from any body part
• Pain in bones or joints
• Swollen glands
• Poor appetite

Treatment

• Chemotherapy medicines are given to kill cancer cells by intravenous or oral route.
• Haematopoeitic Stem cell transplant - It is used in high risk cases and those with relapsed disease.
• Immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Survival

• Five-year survival rates range from 65 to 75 percent

Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APML )

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)