Childhood Leukemia Research

The same disease ensures that the cells do not die within the required period. This situation often leads to overcrowding whereby the cancerous cells take more space than the normal blood cells (Creutzig et al. , 2012, p. Since the disease often starts in the bone marrow, the cancerous cells often spill over to the blood stream in a short period. Pediatric leukemia is the deadliest form of cancer that affects children and it is also ranked as the most common form of cancer that occurs in children (Creutzig et al. The bodies of children are still growing and cell division is active. Thus, leukemia in children often starts as an acute diagnosis that can advance to terminal or advanced leukemia. However, adults only develop chronic leukemia since their bodies have stopped growing physically (Creutzig et al.

, 2012, p. This paper will look into the pediatric diagnosis of leukemia, its etiology, prevalence, its risk factors, the management, and the prevention of the disease. Nevertheless, the medical diagnosis of childhood leukemia is more complex. Early detection is difficult to achieve and only through the observation of the symptoms can the primary caregivers be able to seek further clinical diagnosis. Thus, parents and guardians have to be extra keen when the child starts to present the symptoms associated with this condition. Once the symptoms have started to occur, the next step is to conduct a blood count test to determine the number of white blood cells that are available (Hunger & Mullighan, 2015, p. A low than average result can be a positive clinical diagnosis for both ALL and AML.

Thus, couples and other individuals who want to have a biological child should screen themselves for any disease that is associated with their genotypes. This feature is the commonly accepted form of early prevention of genetic diseases such as leukemia. Therefore, when the parents know that they are carriers of the condition, they can plan accordingly by monitoring their child and seeking medical treatment as soon as the infant is born (Hunger & Mullighan, 2015, p. Prevalence In the United States alone, there are 16,000 cases of cancer diagnosis in children between the ages of 0 and 19. Pediatric leukemia is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in children. , 2016, p. Related population The population that is affected the most by pediatric leukemia are children below the ages of 5 years.

However, the age-gap can span victims up to 19 years of age (Creutzig et al. , 2012, p. These individuals are still growing and the chances of them developing acute symptoms of leukemia are relatively high. The risk factors for the disease are associated with the lifestyle and genetic structure of the biological parents. If the mother of the child consumed alcohol and other drugs during pregnancy, the immune system of the child would be underdeveloped which would increase the chances of the victim developing childhood leukemia. Additionally, if both or one of the parents is a career of the disease, the chances are higher that the child can develop the cancer (Vizcaino et al. , 2016, p. Medical Management/Treatment A research article written by Bernard, Abdelsamad, Johnson, Chapman & Parvathaneni (2017) states that “Since leukemia may affect red and white blood cells and platelets as well, doctors must do their diagnoses based on physical exams and history, complete blood count with differential, blood chemistry studies and bone marrow aspiration and biopsy.

The significant symptom of this disorder is a weakened immune system. Thus, the management of the disease requires constant monitoring of any health changes in the child and regular hospital visits. The victim should also consume foods that boost the immune system together with other health supplements (Bernard et al. , 2017, p. Additionally, a child diagnosed with leukemia should be protected from any external factors that can lead to infection. Implications for Occupational Therapy As a student of Occupational Therapy Assistance, the implications of childhood diagnosis are significant. The information and skills that are taught in this course can help in the education of the community. This course offers the information that can help in the early detection and diagnosis of childhood leukemia, offer viable management and treatment options, and also provide preventive measures against the disease (Vizcaino et al.