Leukemia Awareness

Leukemia is the most common cancer found in children. It envelops a child’s life, shifting it from a bright optimistic future to a desolate state of mind filled with hopelessness. The impact it bestows on a child is permanent even if the child has recovered. Leukemia is when the blood and blood marrow becomes cancerous. The body has three blood cells that are made in the bone marrow. They are essential to functions of the heart and body. The red blood cells are accountable for transporting oxygen around our body. The white blood cells are interrelated with the immune system as they help fight diseases and infections. Lastly, the platelets have the job to stop bleeding and prevent blood clots. Leukemia is involved with white blood cells as it produces abnormal white blood cells at an exceptional rate. These abnormal white blood cells are unable to fight infections and even damage the bone marrow's capability to produce red blood cells and platelets. Leukemia can be chronic or acute and myeloid or lymphocytic. Combining these elements makes a total of four types of leukemia. These are called the: acute myeloid leukemia (AML),chorionic myeloid leukemia (CML),acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Acute and chronic depends on the maturity of the cells. Acute leukemia cells are less mature and produced much faster. Chronic leukemia is more mature and is produced much slower. These cells appear as healthy white blood cells but are only partially mature. It can take many years of chronic leukemia to cause problems but it becomes more difficult to cure than acute. To determine if leukemia is myeloid or lymphocytic it comes down to which bone marrow cells the cancer begins in. Myeloid leukemia starts in the young myeloid cells and the lymphatic starts in cells that become lymphocytes. The most common type of leukemia for children is ALL, or acute lymphocytic leukemia. The other types are generally found in older people.

The pinpoint causes of leukemia still remain unknown. However, intelligent scientists,

biologists, and doctors have a list of factors that can resort to this horrid disease. Cancers can occur when DNA has mutated and can be passed on from parents or spontaneously if mistakes during cell division occur. Different types of exposure can result in leukemia as well.Exposure to benzene which is made up of chemicals similar to plastics and rubbers and exposure to radiation leaves increased chances. Smoking or being around smokers can also increase the likelihood of leukemia. Inherited disorders such as down syndrome or having a sibling with leukemia are other factors. Taking these factors into consideration and watching out for symptoms of leukemia can

save a life.

The common symptoms of leukemia include: anemia, bone and joint pain, weight loss, fever or chills, swollen lymph nodes, recurrent infections, bleeding and bruising. Anemia is the low count of red blood cells in the body. Since the bone marrow is overcrowded with white blood cells anemia is an increased chance. Children with anemia are pale and experience fatigue, and breathe at a faster rate. This is due to the lack of oxygen circulation going around the body.

The frequent bleeding and bruising is due to the low number of platelets produced due to the bone marrow being crowded. This causes the children to be easily exposed to bleeding and bruising. The recurrent infections are due to the immature white blood cells that are unable to do their job of fighting infections. Therefore, the child often may have a fever, runny nose, and cough because their immune system is unwell. The bone and joint pain is the outcome of the bone marrow being overcrowded by the white blood cells which leaves it full. The lymph nodes have the responsibility of filtering the blood. Leukemia cells assemble these nodes and result in swelling. If these symptoms are present and call for a cause of concern then a doctor appointment is necessary. The doctor will determine if the diagnosis is leukemia with various tools.

The diagnosis of leukemia is done with tests and medical history. The doctor will

examine the risk factors and medical history to attain better information on the qualifications of the patient having leukemia. The initial test will be a blood test. A blood test will provide

thorough intel involving the number of blood cells and what appearance they take on. Healthy amounts of white cells in a person is 4,000 to 11,000. For a person with leukemia, this number will amount to 100,000 to 400,000. The platelet and red blood cell may also seem lower than their usual amounts. The bone marrow is a procedure that involves the doctor removing a sample of bone marrow from the hip one. This sample is examined in the laboratory for leukemia cells. This will reveal the characteristics of the cells and assist the doctor to dictate further appropriate action. A spinal tap or lumbar puncture is a procedure of a needle collecting fluid from the spinal canal. This information determines if the leukemia has spread. These tests are also repeated later on to see the response of the treatment in the child.

The treatment for leukemia depends on the circumstances of the patient and the pediatric oncologist’s judgement. Chemotherapy is a dominant treatment used to defeat all kinds of cancer. This drug made of chemicals kills the leukemia cells. Radiation therapy involves beams that damage the leukemia cell and further prevent their growth. Bone marrow transplant replaces the unhealthy bone marrow with new stem cells that will grow into healthy bone marrow. Another way to defeat leukemia is clinical trials which bring new cancer treatments that may or may not work. Surgery is often never an option to treat childhood leukemia. There is no cure to leukemia and there are only ways of repressing it and in some cases the cancer does disappear but has a chance of returning. Scientists are working on treatments to change this situation.

Why is it important to spread awareness on childhood leukemia? Leukemia is a terrorizing illness. The statistics show, 74% of people under 20 years old are diagnosed with the most common type of leukemia (ALL). The five year survival rate for ALL is above 90%, however this is with early detection and expensive treatments. When diagnosed, parents or guardians have to pay around $12,000 to $117,000. The average spending for children under 15 with leukemia has been close to $160,000.Children who don’t get the treatment and medical care they need will not be able to survive. As a child-centered society, we need to establish our care and love for our future generations more than ever. Hearing heart clenching stories of children dying before experiencing their life is dispiriting. The pain and psychological effects of leukemia are present even after treatment. It is common for children to experience anxiety, anger, and even depression. The survivors of childhood leukemia may also experience social and emotional challenges, developmental and growth delays, as well as fertility problems. It is essential that we inform ourselves about leukemia and spread awareness as it is our duty as humans.

Donation Websites:

- https://www.stjude.org/donate/pm-step.html?amount=x&sc_icid=en-pros-srch-lp-donate-

bttn-top&source_code=IIQ210899002

- https://www.clf4kids.org/donate.php

- https://donate3.cancer.org/?lang=en&btn_loc=cancertype&_ga=2.21748792.2067822944.

1648936825-424046147.1648936824

Bibliography:

- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia/causes-risks-prevention/risk-facto

rs.html

- https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/childleuk.html

- https://www.lls.org/sites/default/files/Milliman%20study%20cost%20burden%20of%20b

lood%20cancer%20care.pdf

- https://www.acco.org/blog/what-is-the-expected-lifespan-of-a-child-with-leukemia/

- https://www.healthline.com/health/leukemia/childhood-leukemia-survival-rate

- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-in-children.html