A child tells his parents that he is not feeling good. He is tired, running fever, and has no appetite. The parents decide to take the child to the doctor. They think it’s the flu, but it is actually much worse than that. The parents have just found out that their little child has pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Instantly the question “Will my child die?” fills their minds. The parents can hardly speak because they are filled with shock. Then they began to wonder how they are going to pay for all of the expenses that come with treating the child’s cancer. Thanks to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, no family has to worry about those problems. All they have to worry about is keeping their child alive. Children all over the world
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The goal of the induction phase is to put the disease into remission by killing all of the leukemia cells found in the blood and bone marrow (“ALL” 8). The consolidation/intensification phase is when any remaining cells that could cause the patient to go out of remission are destroyed (“ALL” 8). Lastly, any cancer cells that might have survived through the first two phases of treatment are destroyed in the maintenance phase (“ALL” 8). There are four types a treatment a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia can receive: chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy (“ALL” …show more content…
During the induction phase of chemotherapy, the patient must stay in the hospital and see the doctor regularly because the treatment is extreme (“Treatment of Children” 5). Every pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patient receives intrathecal chemotherapy, which is “chemotherapy in the cerebrospinal fluid” (“Treatment of Children” 7). This certain type of chemotherapy destroys any cancer cells that might have spread to the spinal cord and brain (“Treatment of Children” 7). Intrathecal chemotherapy uses a special drug called methotrexate (“Treatment of Children” 7). After the induction phase is complete, the patient moves into the consolidation phase of chemotherapy, which is “more intense than the induction phase” (“Treatment of Children” 10). The goal of this phase in chemotherapy is to decrease the number of leukemia cells (“Treatment of Children” 10). During this phase, patients with a standard risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia receive the drugs methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine/6-thioguanine in their chemotherapy (“Treatment of Children” 11). Patients with a high risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia receive the drugs doxorubicin, L-asparaginase, etoposide, cytarabine, and cyclophosphamide, which make the treatment more intense (“Treatment of Children” 12). Once the induction and consolidation phases are complete and the leukemia stays in remission,
The goal of the induction phase is to put the disease into remission by killing all of the leukemia cells found in the blood and bone marrow (“ALL” 8). The consolidation/intensification phase is when any remaining cells that could cause the patient to go out of remission are destroyed (“ALL” 8). Lastly, any cancer cells that might have survived through the first two phases of treatment are destroyed in the maintenance phase (“ALL” 8). There are four types a treatment a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia can receive: chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy (“ALL” …show more content…
During the induction phase of chemotherapy, the patient must stay in the hospital and see the doctor regularly because the treatment is extreme (“Treatment of Children” 5). Every pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patient receives intrathecal chemotherapy, which is “chemotherapy in the cerebrospinal fluid” (“Treatment of Children” 7). This certain type of chemotherapy destroys any cancer cells that might have spread to the spinal cord and brain (“Treatment of Children” 7). Intrathecal chemotherapy uses a special drug called methotrexate (“Treatment of Children” 7). After the induction phase is complete, the patient moves into the consolidation phase of chemotherapy, which is “more intense than the induction phase” (“Treatment of Children” 10). The goal of this phase in chemotherapy is to decrease the number of leukemia cells (“Treatment of Children” 10). During this phase, patients with a standard risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia receive the drugs methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine/6-thioguanine in their chemotherapy (“Treatment of Children” 11). Patients with a high risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia receive the drugs doxorubicin, L-asparaginase, etoposide, cytarabine, and cyclophosphamide, which make the treatment more intense (“Treatment of Children” 12). Once the induction and consolidation phases are complete and the leukemia stays in remission,