Expert Pediatric Blood Cancer Treatment in India for Global Patients

Overview of Pediatric Blood Cancers

Pediatric blood cancers are those cancer that occur in children with an origin in blood and the bone marrow. There are two primary forms and this is leukemia and lymphoma though other diseases of the blood which include myeloproliferative can develop in children. Here's an overview of the key types:

Leukemia

Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow by a large number of immature white blood cells. It is the cancer that is most frequently diagnosed in children.

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): The form of childhood leukemia, which impacts the lymphoid tissue, that is, immature white blood cells. It is most common among children at the age of 2-5 years.
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): A less common type of AML that develops in myeloid cells (which further differentiated into red blood cells, platelets as well as some types of white blood cells). Most patients suffering from AML are infants and adolescents.
• Chronic Leukemia: Far less frequent in children than in adults, chronic leukemia is characterized by a gradual rise in the number of irregular blood cells.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is cancer that starts in the cells of the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and organs that include the lymph nodes, the spleen, and the bone marrow. There are two major types of lymphoma:

• Hodgkin Lymphoma: A form of Hodgkins disease that is detected microscopically by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in the lymph nodes. It normally occurs in young people of ages between thirteen to thirty five years.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL): This type of cancer is actually more prevalent among children than is Hodgkin lymphoma. It embraces different subtypes that involve different type of LTA and commonly reveals clinical manifestations such as lymphadenopathy.

Myeloproliferative Disorders

These are rather the rare cases where the bone marrow produces too many blood cells – like platelets or red blood cells. Such diseases include juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) in children.

Challenges in Pediatric Blood Cancers

Blood cancers in children are not only quite different from other childhood cancers, but also raise specific issues for the families of the children and the medical practitioners treating them. Some of them are diagnostic uncertainties, choices of interventions, prognosis and impact on the psychological wellbeing of children.

Below are some key challenges:

• Early Diagnosis and Accurate Classification
• Treatment Complexity
• Long-Term Side Effects and Survivorship
• Emotional and Psychological Support
• Cost of Treatment
• Access to Specialized Care
• Emerging Challenges in New Treatments

Pediatric Blood Cancers Causes, and Symptoms

Causes

The fundamental reason for pediatric blood cancers is not clear. However, several factors may increase the risk:

• Genetic Factors: Some inherited diseases like Down syndrome make children more susceptible to leukemia. 
• Environmental Exposures: You are at a higher risk if have been exposed to ionizing radiation, chemicals like benzene or any previous chemotherapy. 
• Family History: If leukemia has run in the family, then they fall at a slightly increased risk but most are hereditary.

Symptoms

• Anemia
• Bleeding or Bruising
• Frequent Infections
• Bone or Joint Pain
• Abdominal Distress
• Swollen Lymph Nodes
• Difficulty Breathing

GetWellGo role in Pediatric Blood Cancers

GetWellGo is a medical tourism agency that focuses on helping overseas patients receives cost-effective and quality treatments for pediatric blood cancers.

• Hospital and Specialist Selection
• Treatment Planning
• Travel Arrangements
• Accommodation Support
• Visa Assistance
• Language Support
• Cost Management

Best Hospital for Pediatric Blood Cancers

• Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon
• Medanta- The Medicity, Gurgaon
• Apollo Hospital, New Delhi

Top Doctor for Pediatric Blood Cancers

• Dr. Vikas Dua (Pediatric BMT Specialist)
• Dr. Satya Prakash Yadav (Pediatric BMT Specialist)
• Dr. Gaurav Kharya

FAQ

1. What are pediatric blood cancers?

Blood diseases such as leukemia, lymphomas, myeloma, and other cancers that occur in the blood forming tissues including the bone marrow, lymph nodes and the spleen occur among children. The two main types are:

• Leukemia: A type of cancer that involves the bone marrow and blood stream it is marked by the production of large number of abnormal white blood cells. 
• Lymphoma: A cancer that starts in the body’s lymphatic system comprised of the lymph nodes, spleen and bone marrow. 

2. What are the symptoms of blood cancers in children?

Common symptoms include:

• Anemia: Children may look sometimes irritable and lethargic besides having pale skin and they may breathe rapidly, all this because the blood is ineffective at carrying oxygen. 
• Bleeding or bruising: Children may develop skin bruising which are pinpoint haemorrhages are evident often on the skin. 
• Frequent infections: The child may have had several viral or bacterial infections which include fever, nasal discharge and cough. 
• Bone and joint pain: Pressure pain from full marrow crowdedness can mimic arthritis joint pain. 
• Abdominal distress: There may be symptoms of belly pain, poor appetite and / or weight loss depending on the extent of the disease. Leukemia cells tend to accumulate within the kidney, liver and the spleen and therefore, you find these organs swollen. 
• Swollen lymph nodes: There may be enlargement of axillary and inguinal nodes and cervical nodes. 
• Difficulty breathing: T-cell all commonly involves focal infiltration of leukemia cells in the thymus gland behind the breast bone. Any breathing that includes wheezing, coughing and or painful breathing requires medical attention. 

3. What are the causes of blood cancers in children?

The exact causes are not fully understood, but several factors may increase the risk:

• Genetic factors: Some inherited disorders, for instance, Down’s syndrome increases the likelihood of developing leukemia. 
• Environmental exposures: Persons who have had previous exposure to ionizing radiation, toxic chemicals such as benzene, previous chemotherapy and those with family history of the disease are at a greater risk. 
• Family history: A family history of leukemia may be a tiny contributing factor to the risk, but most people with leukemia have no family history of the condition. 

4. How should pediatric blood cancer be identified?

Diagnosis typically involves:

• Blood tests: To look for signs of blood dyscrasias.
• Bone marrow biopsy: As a medical laboratory test used to look for cancer cells in the marrow.
• Imaging: And for evaluating organ involvement we can use CT scans, MRI or ultra sound.
• Genetic testing: To check for mutations or chromosomal diseases. 

5. What modalities of therapy exist in pediatric blood cancers?

Treatment varies based on the specific type of blood cancer but may include:

• Chemotherapy: Used as the first choice for cancer treatment especially for leukemia and lymphoma.
• Radiation therapy: Applied in some situations, for instance, lymphoma.
• Stem cell/bone marrow transplant: For high risk and relapse situations.
• Targeted therapy and immunotherapy: The newest types of application that target and kill cancer cells without affecting the healthy ones. 

6. How is children’s blood cancer expected to turn out?

• During the past few decades many new treatment methods have been developed, and therefore current outlook for childhood blood cancers is much better. For instance, those diagnosed with childhood nlood cancer can easily reach 80% chances of survival or that many children with lymphoma also have a high possibility to be cured. But it varies depending on the type of cancer the child has, his age, the cancer’s chemo sensitivity or radiation sensitivity, and if he has a mutation.