| Leukemia severely affects a person's immune system; | | | | Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), and it is very |
| the disease is characterized by low levels of | | | | rare. |
| leukocytes of white blood cells, which play an | | | | Symptoms and Treatment |
| important role in the body's defenses against disease. | | | | The symptoms that a child with leukemia exhibits are |
| This disease can lead to other complications such as | | | | similar to the symptoms that adults with the disease |
| infections. However, for people who already have | | | | exhibit. Mostly, the symptoms are manifestations that |
| compromised immune systems, such as children and | | | | the child's immune system is compromised, including |
| the elderly, developing leukemia can have some | | | | increased episodes of fever and other infections. |
| severe effects and complications. For children, the | | | | Children with leukemia also suffer from anemia and the |
| effects of leukemia can be very pronounced because | | | | other blood abnormalities found in most leukemia |
| battling the disease can take a toll on their fragile | | | | cases. In addition, other symptoms include bruising and |
| bodies. | | | | bleeding very easily, pain in the bones and the joints, |
| Types of childhood leukemia | | | | swollen lymph nodes, malaise, and a poor appetite. |
| Just like in adult leukemia, children who develop the | | | | Usually, ALL is treated with chemotherapy. However, |
| disease suffer either from large numbers of abnormal | | | | the dosage differs from what is given to adults. The |
| white blood cells or low levels of the white blood cells. | | | | medication that is given during this therapy is very |
| Among cancers in children, leukemia accounts for | | | | potent, which is why for children, smaller dosages are |
| about 25% of cancer cases. There are also different | | | | given. |
| types of leukemia among children, categorized into two | | | | The effects of leukemia can be very hard to deal with, |
| major categories: acute and chronic. Acute leukemia, | | | | especially for children whose immune systems can be |
| or rapidly developing leukemia, is further divided into | | | | severely compromised by the disease. However, |
| two types: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) and | | | | statistics show that children with this disease exhibit |
| Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Acute leukemia | | | | some of the highest remission rates, which means that |
| accounts for 98% of all cases of childhood leukemia, | | | | with proper treatment, the chance of beating this |
| with ALL being the most common. Chronic leukemia, or | | | | disease is very high among children. |
| slowly developing leukemia, has only one type, which is | | | | |