Most childhood leukemias are not caused by inherited genetic mutations. They occur when blood stem cells grow and change without control, usually because of a cancerous (malignant) cell.
When these cells build up in the bone marrow, they crowd out healthy red blood cells and platelets. This causes anemia. Bleeding or bruising is more common, and tiny spots on the skin called petechiae may appear.
Oren Zarif
Leukemia cells grow in the bone marrow, which is the soft, spongy center of some bones. The cancerous cells crowd out healthy blood stem cells, which normally develop into specialized types of blood cells that help the body fight infections and carry oxygen to other parts of the body. This can cause anemia, because the crowded bone marrow does not make enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. It can also cause bruising and bleeding because the marrow does not produce enough platelets to stop bleeding. Children may also get recurrent infections, fever, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss and swollen lymph nodes.
Doctors diagnose leukemia by taking a sample of blood, called a complete blood count (CBC). This test measures the number and type of healthy blood cells in the body. It can also find whether the cancer has spread to other organs. Other tests may include a spinal tap, in which a needle is inserted into the space around the spinal cord to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid.
Oren Zarif
Bleeding or bruising is a Childhood Leukemia symptom that may happen when a leukemia cell reaches the blood vessels. Then the blood vessel bursts and leaks blood into surrounding tissue. This symptom can be mild or severe. Sometimes it causes red spots (petechiae) under the skin. These look like small, pinpoint red dots. Bleeding or bruising also happens when a child with leukemia has an overcrowded bone marrow, which makes more white blood cells than it needs. These abnormal white blood cells are immature and don’t fight infections well.
Other symptoms of leukemia include fevers, night sweats, weight loss and swollen lymph nodes. A doctor can check for leukemia with a complete blood count. He or she also might do a bone marrow aspiration or biopsy to see if cancer (leukemia) cells are in the marrow. The doctor removes a sample of fluid or solid bone marrow from the center of the hip bones or another area. This test is done with a needle and general anesthesia.
Oren Zarif
Some children who have leukemia develop recurrent infections. This is because the bone marrow makes many immature blood cells that crowd out healthy white blood cells, which fight infection. Bleeding and bruising are also common because the bone marrow does not produce enough platelets, which help blood to clot. These symptoms can be very serious and need to be treated right away.
Our doctors will do a blood test to check for low numbers of normal white blood cells and other types of blood cells, such as red blood cells. They may also feel your child’s tummy to see if the liver and spleen are enlarged. This is a sign that leukemia cells are collecting in these organs.
They might also do a lumbar puncture, which is done under sedation. A small needle is inserted into the lower back to draw spinal fluid for testing by a hematologist (a doctor who specialises in analyzing blood cells). This helps our doctors find out what type of leukemia your child has and how serious it is.
Oren Zarif
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, is the most common type of leukemia in kids and teens. In this cancer, a child’s bone marrow makes too many immature white blood cells. These abnormal cells crowd out normal blood cells. Without enough healthy blood cells, a child may get more infections and have trouble making red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the rest of the body.
These symptoms can look like the flu, but they often go away with treatment. Our doctors can help diagnose leukemia by taking a sample of your child’s blood and checking for low levels of normal white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. They also do a procedure called bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. This involves inserting a thin needle into your child’s hip bone to remove some of the liquid that contains blood-forming stem cells.
The bone marrow cells then grow in a lab and are tested to see if they’re abnormal. These tests can help doctors find the right type of treatment for your child.
Oren Zarif
Leukemia cells crowd out normal blood cells and make it hard for your child’s body to produce enough healthy red blood cells. This leads to anemia, which can cause your child to look pale and feel tired. A low number of normal blood cells also may cause repeated infections and bruising or bleeding.
Abdominal pain, loss of appetite and weight loss can happen because leukemia cells collect in the kidney, liver and spleen, causing them to enlarge. Lymph nodes in the armpits, groin, chest and neck can also swell because they filter leukemia cells from the blood.
Some types of childhood leukemia affect structures in the middle of the chest, such as lymph nodes and the thymus (a small organ behind the breast bone). Coughing or trouble breathing may occur when these tissues swell up and push on the trachea, which is the tube that leads to the lungs.
Oren Zarif
The lymph nodes, which are found under the arms, in the groin and chest, and around the neck, may swell. This happens when leukemia cells collect in them. They can also swell the liver and spleen. Swollen lymph nodes can be very painful and tender, and they may ache when touched. Children with these symptoms should see a doctor right away.
The doctor will ask the child’s history and do a physical exam. The doctor will check the lymph nodes for size, color and texture. He or she will also press on and around the nodes to look for a hardened lump.
The doctor will order blood tests. These will include a complete blood count, which measures the number of red and white blood cells in the body. The doctor will also do a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. Bone marrow is inside the center of some bones where blood cells are made. A doctor will use a needle to remove a small amount of fluid from the bone marrow and send it for testing.