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Leukemia is a blood cancer of white blood cells. It occurs when the cells grow too fast and fill up your bone marrow (the soft, spongy center found in certain bones). These leukemia cells crowd out the good blood cells, meaning there are fewer healthy white blood cells to fight infections.
There are three main types of leukemia in children:
Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, affecting approximately 4,000 children in the U.S.
The exact cause of leukemia in children is not known.
Most of the time leukemia is not genetic (inherited). This means it does not come from your parents. Having a brother or sister with leukemia can very rarely increase your risk of having leukemia.
However, there are certain genetic and immune system conditions passed on from parents to children that increase the risk for childhood leukemia. Examples are Down syndrome and Bloom syndrome.
Leukemia can be in the bone marrow, blood or other tissues and organs.
Symptoms depend on many factors. and can include:
Diagnosing leukemia begins with a medical examination by our providers. Diagnostic procedures may include one or more of the following:
Treatment may include:
Our supportive care treats the whole child, not just the disease. Supportive care includes medicines and other treatments used to manage side effects such as pain, fever, infection, nausea and vomiting.
Our comprehensive team provides care to support the unique needs of each patient and family. Members of the team include:
As with other cancers, the outlook can vary from child to child.
The key to increasing positive outcomes is early detection. If you suspect your child might have leukemia, schedule an appointment to be seen by our nationally ranked cancer specialists.