Leukemia in children

Leukemia in children: frequency

Every year, approximately 600 children and adolescents in Germany develop leukemia. Pre-school age children are the most affected.

Most of the young patients have one acute leukemia, In about eight out of ten cases, this is one Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALLES). Sometimes it is also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In children between 1 and 5 years of age, this disease most often breaks out. It can occur at any age, including adults.

With a share of just under 20 percent is the Acute myeloid leukemia the second most common form of leukemia in children and adolescents. In this age group, the disease usually occurs in the first two years of life, ie in infants and toddlers. Overall, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) but mainly adults of higher age get ill.

Only very rarely does one develop Chronic myeloid leukemia or one Chronic lymphocytic leukemia in children and adolescents.

Leukemia in children: causes

The causes of leukemia in children (and other age groups) are not fully understood. Presumably, a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors causes blood cells to begin to multiply uncontrollably. This means that several factors must work together to produce leukemia in children.

For example, various chromosomal changes increase the leukemia risk. Children with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) are significantly more likely to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia than children with “normal” chromosomes. Congenital or acquired diseases that disturb and weaken the immune system also increase the risk of leukemia.

External factors that can contribute to the development of leukemia in children (and others) are, for example, radioactive radiation (such as X-rays) and parents’ cigarette and alcohol consumption. Certain chemicals and medicines can also promote cancer.

In individual cases, however, can usually not understand which triggers are responsible for a leukemia in children.

To read more about the possible causes of blood cancer, see Leukemia: Causes and Risk Factors.

Leukemia in children: symptoms

In cancers of the blood-forming system, the composition of the blood is abnormally changed. Therefore, leukemia causes symptoms in children that are associated with the Blood and its functions in association with. Possible leukemia symptoms in children include:

• paleness
• Tiredness and exhaustion
• reduced efficiency
• weakness
• general malaise
• dizziness
• shortness of breath

These symptoms arise in leukemia because the cancer cells displace the healthy red blood cells. Thus, anemia (anemia) develops with the above-mentioned signs.

Attention: Anemia can also have many other causes. It is not a clear indication of leukemia!

Often, other leukemia symptoms are seen in children. They are mainly caused by the lack of healthy white blood cells and platelets. Examples are:

• increased susceptibility to infections
• fever
• night sweats
• swollen lymph nodes
• enlarged liver and / or spleen
• Abdominal pain and loss of appetite (due to enlarged spleen and / or liver)
• Tendency to bleeding such as gum or nose bleeds, punctate haemorrhages in the skin and mucous membrane (petechiae) and also increased bruises (hematomas)

If the cancer cells have affected other parts of the body and organs, further complaints occur. These include, for example, joint and bone pain when the bones are affected. If leukemia cells settle in the brain, this can cause, among other things, headaches, blurred vision and paralysis.

Leukemia in children: diagnosis

Often, leukemia in children (and others) in early stages does not cause specific symptoms. Fatigue, easy fatigability, fever recognizable cause and other symptoms can have innumerable causes. Often, harmless diseases are behind it. Especially if the symptoms persist longer, parents should go to the doctor with their child.

This is the first in common conversation the medical history of the child (anamnesis). This is followed by a thorough physical examination, Especially important are blood tests: Altered blood levels may indicate possible leukemia. Then the doctor can give the child something bone marrow (bone marrow puncture) and allow it to be analyzed more accurately in the laboratory. Thus, a leukemia can be detected in children safely. At the same time, the examination can show which form of the cancer is present.

Often then further investigations are necessary. They serve, for example, to determine if the cancer has already affected other parts of the body. For more information on the various diagnostic steps, see Leukemia: Examinations and Diagnosis.

Leukemia in children: treatment

How leukemia in children (and others) is treated in detail depends on several factors. First and foremost, what type of leukemia is involved and how advanced it is. Also the age and the general condition of the patient as well as possible comorbidities influence the therapy plan.

In principle, a leukemia is very often by means of chemotherapy treated. Sometimes there is one too radiotherapy of the skull makes sense. This can often prevent or treat a cancer attack of the brain. In some cases, a leukemia in children with a stem cell treated. This is especially so when chemo- and radiotherapy are not effective enough.

You can read more about the individual therapies under Leukemia: Treatment.

Leukemia in children: prognosis

The chances of survival of children with cancer have risen sharply in the past decades. Especially good are the outlook for the most common form of childhood leukemia, ie acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): About 90 percent of small patients survive the disease for a long time (15 years or more).

Somewhat worse is the prognosis of an acute myeloid Leukemia in children: Here, the proportion of long-term survivors is about 73 percent.