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Early Signs of Childhood Leukemia

A diagnosis of cancer in a child is one of the most frightening events a parent could face. Childhood leukemia, one of the most common childhood cancers, can be cured, but only if caught before it can spread. Parents need to know the signs of childhood leukemia, so their children can get help as soon as possible.

  1. What Is Leukemia?

    • Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells. It gets its name from these white blood cells, which are called leukocytes. When a child has this cancer, his body will produce too many white blood cells and an inefficient amount of red blood cells and platelets. The white blood cells are abnormal and do not do their job of protecting the body against disease, which increases the risk of infection. Leukemias account for a quarter of all cancers in American children.

    Fevers & Infections

    • One of the first signs of childhood leukemia is an increase of fevers and infections. Because these children have compromised immune systems, they will frequently be ill, sometimes severely. Because their bodies cannot fight off infections well, they will often be more severely ill from a common cold or other normally mild condition. It is not uncommon for children with leukemia to suffer from one condition after another in rapid succession, because their immune systems cannot recover from one infection before they are exposed to another.

    Anemia

    • Anemia is another common early sign of childhood leukemia. Anemia is a condition that occurs when there are not enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the body. Leukemia patients often have this, because the abnormal white blood cells take up the room that the red blood cells would normally occupy. Anemia causes children to be more tired than normal, lack the energy to play and suffer from bouts of shortness of breath. They may have nosebleeds, and when they are cut, the wound may take longer than normal to heal.

    Other Symptoms

    • Some children with leukemia will have swollen lymph nodes, which are sometimes called glands, throughout the body. Others with this childhood cancer will feel tired all the time, even without anemia. Joint or bone pain is another common symptom, and many leukemia patients struggle with their appetites. Paleness, easy bleeding or bruising, breathing problems, swelling of the abdomen and unexplained weight loss are other early symptoms.

    Prognosis

    • While a diagnosis of childhood cancer is always difficult on a family, the good news about leukemia is that it has a high remission rate. If the cancer is caught before it has a chance to spread into the spleen, liver or central nervous system, the cure rate is high. For acute lymphocytic leukemia, the most common type of childhood leukemia, the 5-year survival rate is over 80 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. Followup chemotherapy is necessary for most patients, to keep the cancer in remission.

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