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<p><span style="color: #00826a;"><strong>Childhood Leukemia (Leukemia)</strong></span> is the most common cancer in children. It can occur at any age, most commonly between 2-5 years old. The most common type is acute leukemia, which results from abnormalities in blood stem cells that cannot develop normally, leading to the accumulation of immature white blood cells (blasts) in the bone marrow and suppression of normal blood cell production. It can be divided into two types based on the cell characteristics: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), found in 80-90% of cases, and Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), found in 10-20% of cases.</p>
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<h4 style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #00826a;">How does childhood leukemia occur?</span></h4>
<p>The exact cause is still unknown, but current studies believe there are multiple contributing factors such as exposure to various types of radiation, certain chemicals like benzene, chemotherapy drugs, or genetic factors such as chromosomal abnormalities that increase the risk of developing leukemia.</p>
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<h4 style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #00826a;">What symptoms suggest leukemia?</span></h4>
<p>Because leukemia suppresses normal blood cell production in the bone marrow, patients may experience the following symptoms:</p>
<ul>
<li>Paleness – due to reduced red blood cell production, causing easy fatigue, weakness, and heart failure if severe anemia occurs</li>
<li>Easy bleeding – due to decreased platelet production, resulting in petechiae on the body</li>
<li>Fever – possibly due to reduced normal white blood cells, leading to increased susceptibility to infections</li>
<li>Other symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver and spleen, and bone pain</li>
</ul>
<h4 style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #00826a;">How is leukemia diagnosed?</span></h4>
<p>Initially, leukemia diagnosis can be made by bone marrow aspiration/biopsy. A definitive diagnosis requires finding more than 30% cancerous cells in the bone marrow.</p>
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<h4 style="color: #008080;"><span style="color: #00826a;">What is the treatment?</span></h4>
<p>Leukemia is treated with chemotherapy using multiple drugs. The treatment duration depends on the type of leukemia. For Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), treatment lasts about 2-3 years, while for Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), it lasts about 6 months to 1 year. Additionally, patients with aggressive leukemia or relapse may require bone marrow transplantation, where bone marrow from a sibling or compatible donor is given after high-dose chemotherapy to increase the chance of cure.</p>
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<p>Currently, chemotherapy regimens and leukemia treatments have improved, resulting in a cure rate of about 80-90% for Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and about 60-70% for Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).</p>
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<p>There is currently no screening or prevention method for leukemia. Parents who notice their children exhibiting the above abnormal symptoms should promptly consult a doctor for early diagnosis to achieve better treatment outcomes.</p>
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<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #00826a;"><strong>Dr. Worapit Thaisit</strong></span><br />
Pediatrician specializing in oncology and hematology<br />
Child and Adolescent Health Center, Phyathai 3 Hospital</p>


Childhood leukemia is the most common cancer in children. It can occur at any age, most commonly between 2-5 years old. The most common type is acute leukemia.

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Did you know "Leukemia" is the most common cancer found in children?

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