CHILDHOOD CANCER

Childhood Cancer

Childhood Cancer

Introduction

In medical terms, blood cancer is known as Leukemia. Blood cancer is the cancer of blood cells. There are different types of Leukemia, which are grouped by the type of cells they affect and the extent to which the cancer cells develop. The cancer cells usually attack lymphocyctes or myelocytes.

Cancer is a group of diseases in which the body produces an excess of cells malignant (known as carcinogens or cancer), with growth and division beyond the normal limits (invasion of tissue surrounding and sometimes metastasis). Metastasis is the spread at a distance, mainly via lymphatic or blood of cancer originating in cells, and growth of new tumors in locations that target metastasis. These properties differentiate malignant from benign tumors, which are limited and do not invade or metastasize. Normal cells to feel the contact with neighboring cells inhibit reproduction, but the malignant cells do not have this brake. Most cancers form tumors, but some do not (such as leukemia).

Discussion

In acute leukemia, immature blood cells form cells which are trillions in count and crowd over the normal blood cells, restricting their function in the bone marrow. As a result, the count of red blood cells drops and patient suffers from anemia.

Following up with a physical examination would be blood testings. A flow cytometry can also be a very important part. It allows a doctor to examine the physical characteristics of blasts (Brown & Madan, 2005, Pp. 90). The next step of being diagnosed is a bone marrow biopsy. During this process the patient is numbed and a doctor uses a fine needle to get bone marrow tissue or a thicker needle to draw out bone and bone marrow. Once the doctor has the samples, they are sent to the laboratory. At the laboratory, the samples are looked at under a microscope looking at the number, size, and maturity of blood cells or abnormal cells that might indicate leukemia.

The newest type of testing is called cytogenetics. This type of testing will look at the chromosomes in individual cells. Cytogenetics uses samples of the blood or bone marrow from the bone marrow biopsy. When being looked at under a microscope, it is being examined for damage to the cell's DNA.

A spinal tap would follow up next. A spinal tap is where a spinal needle is put into the lower back getting a sample of cerebrospinal fluid or cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The fluid is then sent to be examined and determine if there is an infection or other problems. This testing also measures the pressure of the spinal canal and brain.

The last few steps can involve scans, x-rays, and/or an ultrasound. The scan is called computed tomography scan, also well known as a CAT scan. The CAT scan gives detailed images of bones, muscles, fat, and organs (Kaemingk & Hutter, 2004, Pp. 23).

The progression for childhood leukemia depends on who the person is. Some children handle chemotherapy better than others. Once most children start chemotherapy, they start to lose ...