Leukemia in Children

Leukemia in Children: There is Always Hope

Handling is not always the same in every patient, but all of them for the sole purpose of recovering

When your child is diagnosed leukemia (blood cancer), it should not be discouraged! Even if cancer is considered as a serious illness, do not forget that the child experienced cancer can be cured, especially if it is found at an early stage. What are the doctor to identify and solve it? ..........


What happened?

Compared with other types of cancers, leukemia is a type of cancer most often found in children. As the nature of cancer in general, the cells grow wildly out of control, as well as those that occur in leukemia which is the uncontrolled proliferation of white blood cells (leukocytes) are not yet mature.

Bone marrow picture will usually show the number of white blood cells that evil (blast cells) are increased, while the number of other cells or slightly reduced due to the manufacturing process is depressed by the blast cells. If the state of the manufacturer have been so, how it is to be expected outside the plant, which can be seen from the results of peripheral blood. Levels of hemoglobin, leukocytes, and platelets are generally lower than normal values. As a result, children who suffer from leukemia will usually show symptoms that are a reflection of the lower third of the blood components. The cause of leukemia in children until now not known with certainty, but it possessed the genetic factors believed to contribute to the onset of this blood cancer.

Recognizing the symptoms

There are a few of the following symptoms that need to be observed by parents that children who experience these symptoms can be brought to the doctor for further examination. Some symptoms include:

• Weak, pale, tiredness, and increased heart rate. This situation occurs because the number of red blood cells are reduced due to being pressured by white blood cells that evil.
• Frequent fevers and infections. This situation is caused by the reduced number of white blood cells that served both as the "army" to fight disease-causing organisms.
• Appears blue-blue in some parts of the body, red spots, nosebleeds, and bleeding gums. This situation occurs because the reduced number of platelets.
• Felt pains in the bones. This situation has caused the spread of blast cells into the bone.
• Enlarged liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. This situation has also occurred due to the spread of blast cells in the organs mentioned above.

The symptoms that arise between a child with leukemia to another is not always the same and not necessarily any of these symptoms occur all at once. Therefore, if your child's skin looks blue-blue here and there which are not due to hit something, or he complained of vague pain and limped his way, frequent nosebleeds and bleeding gums are also frequent, consult your child to the doctor . The doctor will conduct an examination of the child's body and suggest some checks that are expected to support the results of previous examinations.

Various examinations

As previously described above, that after the doctor doing the examination of the child's body and found the symptoms that point towards a diagnosis of leukemia, it is recommended that further examination is the examination of peripheral blood. Blood sampling locations are usually on hand. Allegations in the direction of leukemia will be stronger if the results of the examination showed hemoglobin, leukocytes, and platelets are generally low.

To be sure, then the doctor will recommend that the small bone marrow aspirate examination or BMP (Bone Marrow puncture) to look directly into the factory. This examination, in children over 2 years old, conducted in the area around the bony prominence that is located a few inches from the tail bone. That children do not feel any pain during the procedure, the doctor will begin by giving an injection of local anesthetic. Through this examination of the child can be determined whether he was suffering from leukemia or not. If it is ascertained that the child was suffering from leukemia, the next step of course is the treatment.

Overcome leukemia

In cancer treatment, there are three modalities used, namely chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. In leukemia, which used the chemotherapeutic modalities that take less than 2 years. Beginning with the induction phase, a very intensive phase, in order to demolish or destroy the cells of existing blast. Striking at the success or failure can be determined through examination of a second bone marrow aspiration, performed at the end of the induction phase. Striking at otherwise successful when the number of blast cells is reduced to the extent otherwise specified normal. This situation is referred to as remission. Once remission is achieved, then go to the next phase, the phase of the central nervous system prophylaxis. This phase aims to pursue a blast cells that may escape into the brain. The chase can be done through the provision of chemotherapy drugs or radiation. After all the procedures in this phase is complete, then go to the next phase, namely the maintenance phase. Unlike the two previous phases, this phase the child is not required to stay in the hospital again. For drugs that are administered intravenously or through the space that lies between two lower vertebrae (intrathecal), the little guy just went into the hospital a day or shorter. Moreover, in addition to the drugs mentioned above, other drugs are drugs that have taken quite a gift. This phase lasted until the period of 2 years was achieved.

Chemotherapeutic drugs, if I may say, is a drug that "stupid". It means "stupid" is these drugs can not only attack the cancer cells alone, all good and active cells are also attacked. This can be seen from the results of peripheral blood examination conducted after the implementation of chemotherapy. For example, such as leukocytes that had normal levels after chemotherapy can be turned into low even to "the soldiers' bodies reached a number that does not allow for an attack when the enemy comes. This situation can lead to the chemotherapy was delayed until the leukocyte count reaches a safe level for chemotherapy can be resumed. When chemotherapy is still being done, there is most likely your child will experience severe infection given the level of infection in our country is still high. To anticipate, the doctor usually will do the monitoring through examination of peripheral blood. Therefore, parents are expected not to get confused and wondering why his blood drawn back and forth. Hair loss after administration of certain chemotherapy drugs are also a result of "stupidity" is a chemotherapy drug. Parents need not fear him to be bald bald after chemo because it is reversible, meaning that if the chemotherapy drug in question is stopped hair will grow back.

Chemotherapeutic drugs also have side effects on organs such as liver and kidney. If at any time an interruption in the function of these organs, the doctor will reduce the dose or even a delay of chemotherapy.

Looking at the process of chemotherapy in the above, parents are expected to prepare the child or herself to be familiar with the process and ways of implementation. In addition, chemotherapy can make the process run smoothly, it is necessary also to state the efforts of the family of the little ones can always be fit. Make it a habit to pay attention to cleanliness, whether it's cleanliness child's body, the food, the environment around it, and others. Ask for assistance to families who want to visit so as not to come in full cry at the same time, then came into the room where the child in care. Families of disobedience to the rules stated above will affect the delay of chemotherapy. Of chemotherapy should be conducted as scheduled today for example, could be delayed until who knows when to condition the child is fit enough to do chemo again. If you want to consume food or medicine out of chemotherapeutic drugs, consult your physician first. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor regarding your child suffering from leukemia. A good working relationship between parents and doctors are expected to produce the expected results, the child can be free of leukemia.