Childhood Cancer-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Essay

Today I will be talking about three aspects of Leukemia; First what it is and one of the possible causes, Secondly what are the recognizable symptoms and what tests doctors use to identify leukemia in a young child. And what

Leukemia is a cancer of blood cells, specifically white blood cells that are responsible for fighting infection. However, the abnormal cells in leukemia do not function in the same way as normal white blood cells. Leukemia cells continue to grow and divide, eventually crowding out normal blood cells. The end result is that it becomes difficult for the body to fight infections, control bleeding and transport oxygen (Medicine Net, 2015). It is estimated that each year, approximately 30,800 individuals will be diagnosed with leukemia in the United

By definition, I must say that childhood cancer is ‘rare’; approximately 13,500 cases are newly diagnosed each year according to Kids vs. Cancer.

Cancer is the most common disease that causes death in the United States. It is actually the second leading cause of death behind heart disease. Some people do not realize it but children can also get cancer. This is call childhood cancer and it amongst children from 0-17 years old. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease past infancy among children in the United States. At a very young age, childhood cancer had impacted my life physically, mentally and emotionally. It definitely changed my perspective on how I will live my life through on out.

According to the American Cancer Society (2013) stated, “Childhood cancers are often the result of gene changes inside cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth” (American Cancer Society, 2013). “Unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors” (American Cancer Society, 2013).

Every 3 minutes a child under the age of 15 is diagnosed with cancer worldwide. (150,000 p.a.) 1

Ashlei Frazier couldn't believe that her young daughter was the one out of many others to be diagnosed with this terrible disease. At 18 months Ashlei thought Madyn looked a little pale, she assumed it was just a virus. However, Madyn’s pediatrician suspected cancer, and immediately referred her to Valley Children's.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a non-profit organization focused on finding a cure for blood cancer and providing their patients with the medical care available. For 65 years, the LLS has been an advocate for blood cancer patients, families, and survivors. In honor of September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month LLS has developed 30 “proof points”, one for each day of the month that displays the organizations success and impact towards finding a cure for blood cancer. With more than $1 billion invested in treatments and research, LLS hopes to reach their goal of $400,000 during Blood Cancer Awareness Month to continue their efforts in creating a world without blood cancer.

Childhood cancer is two of the most devastating words any parent can hear regarding their child. A child that was diagnosed with cancer in the early 1960s rarely survived and typically led to death. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital understood this concern. When the hospital was created the childhood cancer survival rate was less than 20%. Today, through research and discoveries the rate has raised to 80%.

In researching this subject I was able to interview a parent, Johari Evans, of a six year old boy, Rodney Burton III, who is suffering from Hodgkin 's Lymphoma. Ms. Evans shared with me some of the coping tools she used in hope that others can benefit when faced with a similar situation. We talked about how having cancer affects a child and the family in their everyday lives. Ms. Evans expressed how important it is to be able to access informational sites, self-help manuals and hospital based workshops to learn coping skills and positive ways of dealing with such sadness. She also helped me understand emotional mindset of a parent and how she is able to help both of her children cope with the situation.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma are cancers that start in the lymph tissues, such as the tonsils, lymph nodes, and thymus. These cancers may spread to bone marrow and other organs, which can cause different symptoms depending on where it is growing. Hodgkin’s lymphoma can occur in both children and adults, and accounts for about 4% of childhood cancers. It is more common, though, in two age groups: early adulthood (age 15-40, usually people in their 20s) and late adulthood (after 55). Hodgkin lymphoma is rare in children younger than five years of age. About 10% to 15% of cases are diagnosed in children and teenagers. About 81 out of 100 people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are alive one year after the disease is diagnosed. About 63 out of 100 people with the disease are alive at five years, and 49 out of 100 at 10 years (Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, 2005-2010).

When a parent takes their child to the doctor the last thing they want to hear is that their child has cancer. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a child to be diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, also known as ALL. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is one of the most common forms of childhood cancer, and “makes up approximately 25% of cancer diagnoses among children under 15 years old” (3). Children under five years of age are at the most risk of developing ALL. Since it is an acute form of cancer once the onset has begun the disease quickly begins to worsen, therefore patients must seek treatment as soon as possible. “ALL is different than other diseases in that it is not just a single disease but also rather a group of related diseases with different subtypes”(1). This uniqueness causes the treatment of ALL to depend on the subtypes the patient has, therefore each

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is slow-progressing or “chronic”, cancer of the blood and bone marrow. CLL is the second most common leukemia in adults and one of the four primary types of leukemia. Certain risk factors have been identified including age, race, sex, family history of blood and bone marrow cancers and chemical exposure. Most people diagnosed with CLL are white males over the age of 60. Occurrence increases with age and a marked increase after 60. Herbicides, insecticides and Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War have shown to increase the risk of developing CLL. There are approximately 15,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is a scary disease. The term “acute” means the disease can quickly spread and progress quickly and can prove fatal in months if left untreated. “Lymphocytic” simply means that it develops from immature forms of lymphocytes. Also known as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL for short, it is a type of cancer that starts from the early form of white blood cells called lymphocytes in the bone marrow. ALL is the most common form of cancer in children, though adults can get it as well. For children, treatment results in a good chance of a cure. Adults have a significantly smaller chance of a cure with ALL. ALL generally invades the blood very quickly and has the potential to spread to other body parts such as the spleen,

Cancer, one of the most feared words in our vocabulary of this time, especially in childhood (Druker 1). Most people when thinking of “childhood cancer” envision very young children, although a “Nation Institute of Health Policy concerning inclusion of children in clinical research defines children as being younger than twenty-one years of age while the Food and Drug Administration considers children to be fifteen years and younger” (Ries 158). That being said, most cancers incidence peak among children occurs during the first year of life (Gurney 149). Some of the most well-known nationwide childhood cancers are leukemia, brain cancer, and other central nervous system cancers (oeconline 1). In conjunction, “the side effects of treatment,