Blood cancer (Leukemia)
Dr Devinder Singh Sandhu, MD, DM, AIIMS
Oncologist and Hematologist
Advanced trainings at:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New
York, USA
MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), The University of
Texas, Houston, USA
Sandhu Cancer Centre
Udham Singh Nagar Market, Civil Lines, Ludhiana, Punjab,
India – 141001
Phone: 9872391155, 9872591155
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sandhucancercentre.com
Leukemia is another word for cancer of the blood. The blood is made up of different
types of cells. These cells are made in the middle of bones, in a part called the bone
marrow. In leukemia, the bone marrow makes abnormal blood cells instead of normal
blood cells. The abnormal cells grow out of control, get into the blood, and travel
around the body. Sometimes, these cells collect in certain parts of the body. When the
bone marrow makes abnormal blood cells, it does not make the normal blood cells
your child’s
body needs. This causes symptoms.
Types of leukemia:
Some types grow quickly, and others grow slowly. Most leukemia in children is the fast
growing type, called acute leukemia. There are 2 types of acute leukemia. Most
leukemia in children is acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also called ALL. Some leukemia
in children is acute myeloid leukemia, also called AML. There are 2 types of chronic
leukemia including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, also called CLL (mainly seen in old
age) & chronic myeloid leukemia, also called CML.
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Symptoms of leukemia: The most common symptoms are:
 Feeling very tired and weak
 Bleeding more easily than usual
 Getting fevers or infections more easily than usual
 Bone pain, which can make children limp or refuse to walk
 Swollen lymph nodes that you can see or feel under your child’s skin
These symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not leukemia.
Tests for leukemia:
 Blood tests
 A bone marrow biopsy very small sample of the bone marrow & examined
under a microscope.
Treatment:
The treatment depends on the type of leukemia he or she has. Treatment for
leukemia can include one or more of the following:
(1) Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is the term used to describe a group of
medicines that kill cancer cells. Patients usually get these medicines through a thin
tube that goes in their vein.
(2) Radiation therapy: Radiation kills cancer cells.
(3) Bone marrow transplant: This treatment replaces cells in the bone marrow
that are killed by chemotherapy or radiation.
The donor cells can come from different places, including:
 People who are related to patient, and whose blood matches patient’s
 People who are not related to patient, but whose blood matches patient’s
 Blood (that matches patient’s) from a newborn baby’s umbilical cord
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Most patients are in remission after they start treatment. This means that doctors do
not see any more abnormal blood cells in the blood or bone marrow. But even though
doctors do not see any abnormal cells, they are still in the body. To kill these cells and
keep the leukemia from returning, patient will need to finish treatment. It may take
few months to many years to finish treatment depending upon type of leukemia. .
After treatment:
After treatment, the doctor will check patient every so often to see if the leukemia
comes back. Follow ups include talking with the doctor, exams, and blood tests.
Sometimes, the doctor will also do a bone marrow biopsy.
Patient should be watched for the symptoms listed above. Having those symptoms
could mean the leukemia has come back. Tell the doctor if patient has any symptoms.
What happens if the leukemia comes back? If the leukemia comes back, patient
might have more chemotherapy, radiation, or a bone marrow transplant.
What else should I do? It is important to follow all of the doctor’s instructions about
visits and tests. It’s also important to let the doctor know if patient has any side
effects or problems during treatment.
Leukemia treatment can involve making many choices, such as what treatment patient
should have and when. Always let the doctors know how you feel about a treatment.
Any time patient is offered a treatment, ask:
 What are the benefits of this treatment? Is it likely to help patient live longer?
Will it reduce or prevent symptoms?
 What are the downsides to this treatment?
 Are there other options besides this treatment?
 What happens if patient does not have this treatment?
(Source: uptodate.com)
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