Pediatric Leukemia
Leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, is cancer of the blood and develops in the bone marrow. When a child has leukemia, the bone marrow, for an unknown reason, begins to make white blood cells that do not mature correctly, but continue to reproduce themselves. The body can regulate the production of cells by sending signals when to stop. With leukemia, these cells do not respond to the signals to stop and reproduce. These abnormal cells reproduce very quickly and do not function as healthy white blood cells to help fight infection. When the immature white blood cells begin to crowd out healthy cells in the bone marrow, the child experiences the symptoms of leukemia (i.e., infections, anemia, bleeding). While significant advances have been made in research and treatment, it remains a very serious and sometimes fatal disease.
Information on the following pages is derived directly from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health.
Please refer to the following website for source documentation and additional information: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/pediatrictreatment .
Additional sources utilized are Stanford Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
Please refer to the following website for source documentation and additional information: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/pediatrictreatment .
Additional sources utilized are Stanford Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
