"Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia" - ALL (Cancer of the bone marrow)
Incidence:
- Many children will be diagnosed with some form of leukaemia by the age of 19 years. It is more common in children under the age of 5 years. Leukaemia (all types) accounts for approximately 35% of all childhood cancers.
Survival Rate:
- 90-98% of children with newly diagnosed ALL attain an initial complete remission (an absence of leukemic cells in four to six weeks).
- At least 80% of children are cured. If the child does not have a relapse within three years after therapy is stopped, the likelihood of continued disease-free survival is excellent.
Causes:
Description:
- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer. It affects lymphocytes, a class of white blood cells. Leukemic cells accumulate in the bone marrow, replace normal blood cells and spread to the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, central nervous system, kidneys and gonads.
Current Treatment Options:
- Treatment involves chemotherapy until complete remission is achieved. Additional drugs are used to kill any surviving malignant cells. All chemotherapy is stopped after two to three years of treatment. Bone marrow transplantation is an option for very high-risk cases or following relapse.
"Acute Myeloid Leukaemia" - AML (Cancer of the bone marrow)
Incidence:
- It is less common than acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
- AML is diagnosed in about 20% of children with leukaemia. AML usually occurs in people older than 25 years, but sometimes is found in teenagers and children.
Survival Rate:
- Initial remission is 80-90%, however, there is an approximate 50% relapse (cancer returning after treatment) rate for patients.
- Only 30-50% of patients with AML achieve long-term remissions.
Causes:
- Studies suggest there is a greater incidence of leukaemia among people exposed to large amounts of radiation and certain chemicals (e.g. benzene).
- Children with Down's syndrome appear to be at a greater risk.
Description:
- Acute Myeloid leukaemia (AML) affects various white blood cells including granulocytes, monocytes and platelets. Leukemic cells accumulate in the bone marrow, replace normal blood cells and spread to the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, central nervous system, kidneys and gonads.
Current Treatment Options:
- Chemotherapy is the most common form of therapy for children with AML. Antilogous bone marrow transplantation (when a patient receives their own bone marrow, free of cancer cells) may be performed as part of treatment. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (when patients receive bone marrow from a donor) is preferred treatment for those patients with AML who relapse or who have disease that is resistant to other treatments.
"Germ Cell Tumours"
Incidence:
- Germ Cell Tumours make up about 3% of malignant disease in children and adolescents.
Survival Rate:
Description:
- Germ cell tumours are tumours arising from primitive germ cells, and can occur in the ovaries, gonads, pelvis and brain. The most common germ cell tumour is the teratoma, which in infants appears with large external masses. Patients with ovarian tumours (uncommon but aggressive, are seen in young women or adolescent girls) often have abdominal swelling, pain, nausea, vomiting or constipation. The incidence for testicular tumours has two peaks - one is in infancy and the other is post pubertal. The germ cell tumour occurring in the testicle causes a painless lump. Although germ cell tumours may arise in a wide variety of places, they usually occur close to the midline of the body.
Current Treatment Options:
- Treatment involves a complete removal of the tumour with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Neighbouring lymph nodes are tested to look for any further spread of the tumour.
