Leukemia in children

Leukemia is the most frequent cancer in the age group between 0-14 years. There are several forms of leukemia : acute and chronic forms , shapes lymphoblastic and myeloblastic . The most frequent in children is acute lymphoblastic leukemia , responsible for almost 95 % of cases. The disease affects the bone marrow responsible for the production of blood cells : or red blood cells , red blood cells and platelets.

In leukemia, the bone marrow produces white blood cells in an uncontrolled patients who have lost their function. The diseased bone marrow takes the place of healthy bone marrow preventing the production of healthy cells. The child gradually loses its ability to defend itself against infections , to carry oxygen in all areas of your body and to defend themselves from hemorrhage . Therefore the symptoms which manifest leukemia are very marked pallor , repeated infections and severe bleeding in the skin and the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth.

Over the past twenty years, the research has allowed to make more effective chemotherapeutic regimens in the treatment , in particular with regard to the acute lymphoblastic leukemia . We are facing a serious and insidious disease , which therefore requires aggressive therapies that go on for about two years. The therapies available can get significant results after just a few months, but unfortunately you can not drop our guard and to avoid a rapid return of the disease , it is necessary to continue the administration of chemotherapy drugs for many months.

The first part of therapy, which lasts about eight months, it may take even longer periods of hospitalization , while the second part allows the child to play an almost normal life since the therapy requires hospitalization almost exclusively in an outpatient setting .

The treatment of these diseases therefore requires the construction of teams who take load not only the child, but of an entire family that must be supported from the psychological point of view and, if necessary , economic .

Fondazione Ginevra Caltagirone, during these years , has played a decisive role by funding renovation projects , purchase of equipment and scholarships for research and education .