AA in Liberal Arts- Brookdale CC- 2010

BA in Theatre- Kean University- 2012

Margo Wolfson Human Biology Fall 2013

Runs parallel to the cardiovascular system

Pipes through the entire body

Protects against intruders

Repairs damage done to the body

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEP0PYEWcwU

Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children and adolescents in USA

Leukemia is the most common pediatric cancer ◦ 25% of all childhood cancer ◦ 2500-3500 cases/year in USA

75% of pediatric leukemia is ALL Peak age 2-5 years 85% overall survival on modern therapy regimens White males are more likely to get it National Cancer Institute allocates only 4% to pediatric

research, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society only 2%, and American Cancer Society only 1%

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Leukemia that occurs when a bone marrow precursor cell creates immature progeny that have lost the ability to differentiate and wind up multiplying in an uncontrolled manner

Immature progeny (blasts) expand in marrow and impair normal hematopoiesis (formation of blood and specialization of cells)

Leukemia cells invade the blood quickly and spread throughout the body

"Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment." National Cancer Institute. National Institute of Health, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childALL/Patient/page1>

Blood cell development. A blood stem cell goes through several steps to become a red blood cell, platelet, or white blood cell.

Exact cause is NOT known

Possible causes

Pesticides

Viruses

Ionizing radiation or Chemotherapy exposure

◦ 5x increased risk for all childhood cancer if exposed in first trimester

Down Syndrome

◦ 20x greater lifetime risk of developing acute leukemia

Siblings

◦ 2-4 times average risk

◦ 25% if twin diagnosed before 6 years old

Tumor suppressor mutations ◦ Neurofibromatosis ◦ Li-Fraumeni syndrome

Impaired DNA repair ◦ Bloom Syndrome ◦ Fanconi’s Anemia ◦ Ataxia Telangictasia

Source: "Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment." National Cancer Institute. National Institute of Health, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childALL/Patient/page1>

Pallor

Anorexia

Lumps in neck/stomach/groin

Fullness in ribs

Belly pain

Petechiae

Lightheadedness

Feeling cold

Source: "Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment." National Cancer Institute. National Institute of Health, 07 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childALL/Patient/page1>

Induction ◦ Chemotherapy is most intense. Constant doctor visits are required

and all drugs need to be taken. The goal is to kill the leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow. After chemotherapy, many go into remission but the leukemia may still be hidden in the body somewhere.

Consolidation ◦ If the leukemia has gone into remission, there is a short amount

of chemo for a few more months and the drugs are given in really high doses and can still be really intense. If a patient has a high risk of relapse, the doctor may suggest a stem cell transplant if there is a good transplant candidate.

Maintenance ◦ The goal is to kill any remaining leukemia cells that may regrow

and cause a relapse. The patient is put on a maintenance program of methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). In some cases, this may be combined with other drugs such as vincristine and prednisone.

◦ 2 years for females or 3 years for males

Targeted therapy: drugs are used to target specific parts of cancer cells and have less side effects than chemo.

A bone marrow transplant would involve high doses of chemo, some radiation, and then a transplant of donated stem cells. Stem cells usually come from a donor or, less likely, they come from your own bone marrow or peripheral blood.

CAM therapies help manage symptoms and pain. (acupuncture, massage, meditation, yoga, art therapy, support groups, music therapy, etc.)

Radiation therapy: The use of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. This is not used often for ALL but may be used to treat leukemia in the brain or bone, for example, or before a stem cell transplant.

CNS treatment or prophylaxis: Could include chemo injected directly into the spinal fluid, radiation therapy to the brain and spinal cord, and/or High-dose IV methotrexate or cytarabine.

Movva, Sujana, MD. "Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Survival, Treatments, and More." WebMD. WebMD, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/cancer/acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia?page=2>

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