The symptoms of leukaemia in children are often symptoms that can be associated with other and less serious diseases. Luckily these symptoms usually lead parents to take their children to the doctor, enabling earlier diagnosis and earlier treatment of leukaemia that ensures a better outcome for the child.

Definition of leukaemia

Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells or leukocytes. It is the most common type of cancer found in children in South Africa and accounts for about 24% of cancers diagnosed in children in the country every year.

Leukaemia occurs when abnormal white blood cells form in the bone marrow and flood the blood stream. The abnormal white blood cells cannot perform the role of the healthy white blood cells in protecting the body against disease, thus increasing the chances of infection and other health problems for the child. As the disease progresses, it also interferes with the production of other types of blood cells, such as platelets and red blood cells, resulting in anaemia and bleeding problems.

Almost all cases of leukaemia in children are acute, meaning it develops rapidly, and only a very small number of cases develop over time.

Most cases of childhood leukaemia are successfully treated with very high remission rates and the majority of children can be cured of this disease. Childhood cancers seem to respond better to treatment than cancers in adults and children also seem to tolerate treatment better.

Symptoms most often seen in children with leukaemia

    • Increased occurrence of fevers or infections
    • Easy bruising
    • Unusual bleeding, for example frequent nosebleeds or longer episodes of bleeding
    • Pale skin
    • Anaemia
    • Fatigue
    • Coughing
    • Rashes.

Symptoms less often seen in children with leukaemia

    • Poor appetite and/or weight loss
    • Pain in bones or joints, sometimes leading to limps
    • Extreme fatigue
    • Swollen glands
    • Gum problems
    • Headaches
    • Seizures
    • Abnormal vision
    • Problems with balance
    • Breathing difficulties
    • Vomiting.

 

Sources
kidshealth.org
www.cansa.org.za
www.health24.com
www.webmd.com