Ways to prevent blood cancer in early life

Several types of cancer develop in the bone marrow or in the lymph nodes in children. Known as cancer of the blood cells, these cancers cause uncontrolled growth of white blood cells in the case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also known simply as ALL, the most common childhood cancer. In childhood Hodgkin lymphoma, abnormal lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, appear in the blood. In classic Hodgkin lymphoma, large, abnormal lymphocytes called Reed-Steinberg cells can be seen in the blood under microscope.

Several factors may contribute to childhood blood cancer, but it’s not possible to prevent these cancers from occurring. Being infected with the Epstien-Barr virus may be a precipitating factor for around 15 percent of cases in the United States of Burkitt’s lymphoma. But Epstein-Barr virus is a common virus, affecting 95 percent of people by the ages of 35 to 40. Children or adults infected with the HIV virus also have a higher risk of developing lymphoma.

Exposure to environmental chemical or pollutants may increase the risk of childhood cancers of the blood, but more study into the possible connections is needed. Possible risk factors for childhood leukemia include having a brother or sister with ALL, having Down syndrome, exposure to X-Rays before birth, exposure to radiation and previous chemotherapy.

Bone marrow transplant is normally not the first-line treatment for childhood blood cancer, but may be used if initial treatments fail or the cancer returns. In these cases, parents who are a close match may consider bone marrow donation for a stem cell transplant. Called an allogenic transplant, this type of stem cell transplant uses cells obtained after bone marrow donation from a donor to replace the cancerous cells in the child’s body. Chemotherapy is given first to destroy the cancerous blood cells. The healthy stem cells are then infused through an intravenous solution. Stem cell transplantation is a risky procedure that can have serious complications but can also be life-saving under the right conditions.