Leukemia in children

What is leukemia in children?

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer. It’s a blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow, which is a spongy substance that creates blood cells. When a child has leukemia, cancerous white blood cells overwhelm healthy cells.

What are the types of leukemia in children?

We use the latest diagnostic tools to determine which type of leukemia your child has. This way, we can tailor the right treatment to their condition. Types of childhood leukemia include:

• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) accounts for up to 75% of childhood leukemias, making it the most common type. It develops in immature white blood cells (lymphocytes). We treat all types of ALL, including rare forms such as Burkitt’s leukemia, infantile leukemia and precursor T-cell and B-cell ALL.

• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) starts in myeloid cells in the bone marrow and quickly moves into the bloodstream. Myeloid cells are immature blood cells that later develop into oxygen-carrying red blood cells, infection-fighting white blood cells and blood-clotting platelets. AML can spread to the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, testicles, brain and spinal cord.

• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the most common leukemia in adults. It’s rare – but not impossible – for a child to get CML. This cancer develops in white blood cells that have partially matured.

• Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is uncommon leukemia affects children between 3 months and 6 years old. It can spread to the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.

• Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a very rare childhood blood cancer. It affects the skin, lymph nodes and spleen.

What are the early signs of leukemia in children?

As leukemia cells multiply and crowd out healthy cells, your child might experience some of these symptoms:

• Abdominal swelling

• Bone or joint pain

• Coughing or shortness of breath

• Dizziness

• Fatigue

• Feeling cold

• Increased number of fevers or infections

• Loss of appetite and weight loss

• Pale skin

• Swollen lymph nodes

• Easy bruising and bleeding, including frequent nosebleeds

How is leukemia in children diagnosed?

Your child may undergo one or more of these tests to diagnose leukemia or rule it out:

• Complete blood count (CBC) - A test to measure blood cell and platelet numbers in the blood.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - A scan that creates 3D images of the body’s soft tissues.

• Ultrasound (sonogram) - A scan that produces 3D images of blood vessels, bone, soft tissue and certain body areas like the abdomen or head.

• Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy - A test to check for cancer cells in bone marrow, and sometimes in the bone itself.

• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) - A test to check for cancer cells in spinal fluid.

• Lymph node biopsy - A test to check for cancer cells in lymph nodes.

What causes leukemia in children?

Childhood leukemia and other pediatric cancers happen when something damages the genetic makeup, or DNA, of cells. But medical experts don’t know what starts that process. Once these cells mutate or change, they grow out of control and interfere with the body’s production of healthy cells.

How is leukemia in children treated?

As one of the country’s largest pediatric leukemia programs, we offer all treatments for children with leukemia. Treatment options include:

• Chemotherapy medications (chemo) are the go-to treatment for childhood leukemia. These drugs attack and destroy cancer cells while easing bone pain caused by the cancer.

• CAR T-cell therapy this is a new and innovative treatment that trains healthy cells in your child’s immune system to find and destroy ALL cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapy may be an option for your child if traditional treatments (like chemotherapy) don’t put their leukemia in remission or if the cancer returns. 

• Pediatric stem cell transplant program is the only one accredited in North Texas offering stem cell transplants to treat childhood leukemia. These transplants can replace defective bone marrow and stop the body from producing cancerous cells.

• Immunotherapy - This treatment engages your child’s immune system to fight cancer cells. Children's Health offers access to clinical trials of innovative CAR T-cell therapies for leukemia.

• Proton radiation therapy offers targeted proton radiation therapy to minimize your child’s exposure to harmful rays.

• Targeted drugs such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) attack mutations in genes that cause leukemia.

Leukemia research

Cancer specialists practicing at Children’s Health are also faculty members at UT Southwestern Medical Center and are nationally recognized for their dedication to advancing pediatric leukemia research.

Our academic affiliation with UT Southwestern Medical Center allows us to participate in clinical trials to find new treatments and minimize side effects. This means your family has access to promising new therapies often before they’re widely available.

In addition to conducting our own hematology and oncology research, we’re also among a select group of medical centers participating in the following:

• Children’s Oncology Group - This is an organization of global pediatric cancer leaders that conducts National Cancer Institute clinical trials

• Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma (TACL) consortium - This is a global organization focused on finding new treatments for childhood leukemia relapses (comes back after treatment)