ALL: the childhood cancer.

I had a cousin who had ALL, or Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. He had it for a short time and we did not know if he would be cured of it. Unfortunately he was not cured of it. He passed away and I feel it is my job to teach people about the symptoms and signs of ALL in people.

ALL is a disease of the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue where blood cells are made. This type of cancer starts from lymphocytes. If left untreated it can spread to lymph nodes, spleen, and liver, parts of the brain and spinal cord, and possibly the testicles.  The “acute” part of the name means it spreads quickly when left untreated. The “lymphocytic” means that it is form immature lymphocytes, or a type of white blood cell. Depending on which lymphocyte (B or T lymphocyte) causes it affects the growth rate and what type of leukemia you may get.

ALL can be caused by several factors. Some are chromosomal issues, prenatal exposure to radiation, past use of chemo therapy, bone marrow transplants, or certain toxins. Most ALL patients are between the ages 3-7, but it can occur in adults. You are t an increased risk if you have Down syndrome, other genetic disorders, or a sibling with leukemia. ALL makes people more likely to bleed, more viable to infections, easy bruising, bone and joint pain, weakness, fatigue, paleness, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, pain or feeling of fullness below the ribs, red spots, swollen glands, and possible night sweats.  You can get a physical exam or blood tests. A physical exam reveals bruising, swollen spleen, liver, or lymph nodes, or any signs of bleeding. Blood tests count all of the white blood cells and platelets in your blood. They may also do a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to check for leukemia cells or a bone marrow aspiration or biopsy. Chemo therapy is the first treatment done and is given usually by and IV into the veins by the spine or brain. The second option is a stem cell transplant. Depending on the age of the person, the leukemia cell types, DNA changes, stem cell availability, and how many rounds of chemo therapy it took to go into remission depends on further treatment. This disease itself or treatment for it can lead to weight loss, bleeding, or infections. To help lower you risk, avoid harmful toxins, chemicals, and radiation.

Some drug and treatment options include induction therapy, consolidation therapy, maintenance therapy, spinal tap, chemo therapy, targeted drug therapy, radiation therapy, or even clinical trials. Induction therapy kills most of the leukemia cells and helps to get the bone marrow and blood cells back to normal. Consolidation therapy destroys the remaining cells near the spine or brain.  Maintenance therapy is given in lower dosages and helps to keep the leukemia cells from growing back. Spinal tap kills leukemia cells in the nervous system. During drugs are also injected into the spinal cord and fluid. This helps to kill any remaining leukemia cells. It is the most commonly used therapy for children and adults with ALL. Targeted drug therapy the drug destroys certain abnormalities to keep cancer cells from living. marrow transplant

Only people with the abnormality (also known as Philadelphia chromosome) may use this during or after chemo therapy. Radiation therapy uses high powered beams to kill cancer cells. When people with ALL get stem cell transplants it helps to get rid of cancerous cells and replace them with healthy cells. Clinical trials test new drug and treatment options. Other choices are acupuncture, aroma therapy, massages, meditation, and relaxation exercises. These do not in fact cure ALL but they help to reduce stress levels so the cancer can be cured easier.

ALL is a type of leukemia cancer. It is a very curable disease but sometimes is not cured or found quickly enough to be cured. My cousin is amongst those who did not get cured of ALL. I feel like my cousin would have wanted me to teach you more about ALL and what it is and does.

1)    Do you know anyone with ALL?

2)    Do you understand the causes and treatment options?

3)    Do you know how to help the ALL patients and their families?

2 thoughts on “ALL: the childhood cancer.

  1. This blog was very informative about ALL. I never knew much about ALL and now I know so much more. I was surprised at how many symptoms are caused by ALL. I also was shocked that the common age of people affected were children ages three to seven. Children that get ALL have a high chance for it being cured, where adults who get ALL have a reduced chance for being cured. Some of the symptoms include severe bleeding from the gums or nose, fever, bone pain, and lumps caused by swollen lymph nodes. It is caused by an error in the DNA of a bone marrow cell. You have a chance of getting it if you have had previous cancer treatment, have a genetic disorder, or have a brother or sister with ALL.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia/basics/risk-factors/con-20042915

  2. This was a very good and informative blog about ALL. I didn’t know much about this disease but now I do. It is very sad that you lost your cousin but I am glad you are informing people about it. I have done some other research on ALL and found a lot of the same facts that you did. Did you know that it affects 3,000 kids a year? Also it is more likely to occur in males that in females. It is sad that the outcome of making it is small sense the cells become resistant to chemotherapy. Cancer is becoming more prone in kids all around, but are expected to be long term survivors. Hopefully they can start to doing research or continue to do research. Maybe in the long run they will find a cure to all types of leukemia and other types of cancer. This is becoming more and more common in life today and is being seen a lot know. I think they will continue to do research and to hopefully find a cure. If you would like to know more information you can go to http://www.danafarberbostonchildrens.org/Conditions/Leukemia-and-Lymphoma/Acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia.aspx?_vsignck&_vsrefdom=newALL&gclid=CLKIyuXDjMQCFQKTaQod1I8AgQ. This is where I got my information and was really informed by it.

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