Acute Leukemia

Treatment of Children

Children with leukemia are treated in both Florida and Minnesota.

In Florida, care is provided through a partnership with Nemours Children's Clinic and Wolfson Children's Hospital. See Florida.

In Minnesota, a child-friendly environment, the latest advances in treatments and highly skilled pediatric hematologists are all part of Mayo Clinic's program to treat childhood leukemia. Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital has a unit dedicated to caring for patients with leukemia. Staff physicians are national authorities for leukemia.

Treatment Options

Treatments vary for the types of pediatric leukemia. The most common treatment is chemotherapy. It may be followed by radiation, if appropriate. Other therapies include stem cell or bone marrow transplantation.

Mayo is a nationally approved site to perform bone marrow and cord blood (stem cell) transplants for leukemia and other conditions. These transplants are conducted in Mayo's pediatric transplant unit, located next to the pediatric intensive care unit at Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital. This arrangement allows young patients to receive high-quality care in a child-friendly environment.

In some situations, stem cell transplantation is advisable. The ideal donor is a matched family member. However, if such a donor is unavailable, stem cells from a matched unrelated donor, cord blood or a half-matched parent can be used.

Treatment Team

Acute leukemia is treated by specialists in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. The clinic's multidisciplinary group practice efficiently coordinates the medical specialists who diagnose and treat pediatric leukemia.

Appointments

For appointments or more information, call the Central Appointment Office at (507) 538-3270 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

More Information about Pediatric Leukemia

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer. Leukemia causes the body to make many abnormal white blood cells. Of the 2,000 cases diagnosed in the United States each year:

• About 70 percent are acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
• About 20 percent are acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).
• About 5 percent are chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), similar to the adult form of CML.
• About 5 percent are juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML).

The types of leukemia are related to the types of white blood cells that are affected.

Cure rates for different leukemias vary, but all rates have improved significantly during the past three decades. Other factors that affect treatment success include:

• Age
• White blood cell count
• Chromosomal abnormalities

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Symptoms of childhood leukemia include:

• Bruising
• Fever
• Paleness (pallor)
• Joint aches and pains
• Bone pain
• Weight loss

Blood tests are necessary to diagnose the disease.