Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children

In children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. This usually results from uncontrolled growth of immature white blood cell known as lymphoblasts. This article provides an overview on symptoms, epidemiology, causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of acute lymphoblastic leukemia:

Overview:

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. It is responsible for 25% of childhood cancers approximately. It is an aggressive disease that needs immediate attention to achieve great survival chances.

Symptoms:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Pale skin
• Frequent infections
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Bone or joint pain
• Swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the neck, armpits, or groin
• Abdominal pain or swelling
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Headaches or seizures (less common)

Epidemiology:

• Most often, ALL affects' children aged between 2 and 5 years, but it can happen to any child.
• Boys are slightly more likely to develop ALL than girls.
• The incidence of ALL is higher in developed countries compared to developing countries.
• Some children may have certain genetic factors or environmental exposures that might make them more likely to develop ALL.

Causes:

The actual reason why small children get acute lymphoblastic leukemia is often not clear, although several elements may be involved:

• Genetic disposition: Some genetic syndromes like Down’s syndrome, Li- Fraumeni syndrome among others may increase the risk of occurrence.
• Environmental influences: Other factors include exposure to radiation, some chemicals such as benzene and infections like viruses.
• Immunodeficiency: There are conditions that can weaken the immune system making one susceptible to having cancer.

Diagnosis:

• Blood tests: A complete blood count (CBC) may show there is a problem with low RBC count (anemia), low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) and high WBC count (leukocytosis).
• Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: This involves examining samples from bone marrow to determine presence of leukemia cells and their characteristics.
• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap): Such procedure may be done to check for leukemia cells in cerebrospinal fluid because CNS can be affected by ALL.

Treatment:

• Chemotherapy: For children, the main treatment for ALL is chemotherapy using different drugs in several phases:
• Induction therapy: Strong chemicals used to cause remission.
• Consolidation therapy: More chemicals used to eliminate any remaining leukemia cells.
• Maintenance therapy: Lower-dose chemicals given over a long period of time to avoid relapse.
• Other treatments such as radiation therapy, targeted therapy and stem cell transplants may be used in certain cases.
• New treatment methods have led to high cure rates, with approximately 90% of children with ALL going into remission that lasts a long time.

Prevention:

• There are no specific measures to prevent ALL, but some steps may help reduce the risk or detect it early.
• Avoid exposure to known risk factors such as radiation and certain chemicals.
• Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can improve outcomes.
• Regular medical check-ups can help detect any potential health problems early.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children is a severe disease that necessitates prompt identification and appropriate management. Advancements in medical research and treatment have greatly raised survival rates, giving hope for numerous affected children together their families. Ongoing research aims at elucidating the causes of ALL better as well as developing more effective drugs with minimal side effects.