Emabal - Healthcare

Leukemias 3

The diagnosis of acute leukemia is often made by doing some special tests called Bone Marrow Studies and Cytology in which the cells of the bone marrow are collected and are then examined under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.
Commonly, some other ancillary tests to classify the disease will also be done. This is usually done to help focus the treatment.
Treatment of acute leukemia is with chemotherapy. The treatment is divided into several phases and several chemotherapy drugs are used in each phase of treatment. Attending complications are also given and supportive therapy is instituted to tackle emergent symptoms.
The disease is usually worse in male children of African origin less than a year or greater than 10 years old.
As seen from the list of symptoms, these children are subjected to a reduced quality of life and psychological trauma coupled with the challenges in treating this condition in children makes prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment of acute leukemia very paramount. Also worthy of note is the scarcity and expense of leukemia chemotherapy in Nigeria, again underlining the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment in a standard, well-equipped facility such as ours.

The End.

Leukemias 2

Acute leukemia is further divided into two forms, based on the types of cells usually seen under the microscope. These are:
1) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
2) Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Research has it that the following predispose children to acute leukemia:
1) Genetic disorders such as Bloom syndrome, Fanconi anemia
2) Congenital diseases such as Down's syndrome
3) Exposure to radiation
4) Exposure to chemical carcinogens such as benzene
Symptoms seen in leukemia are basically due to anemia, thrombocytopenia and inability to fight infections.
The symptoms of anemia are weakness, headaches, awareness of one's heartbeats (palpitations).
The symptoms of thrombocytopenia are usually those of unusually easy bleeding, bleeding under the skin (purpura) and longer duration of bleeding after sustaining an injury.
Due to the "uselessness" of the white blood cells produced in leukemia, children with leukemia are usually prone to infection as occasioned by the presence of fever in them.
Weight loss, loss of appetite and skin manifestations (dermatitis, papules and vesicles) can also be present.

To be continued...

As implied from the name, these are cancers found in children, commonly below 15 years. Although many people are familiar with adult cancers, little is known about the cancers that plague children. We will be briefly describing the common ones among them.
The common forms are:
1) Leukemias. These are cancers of the blood and bone marrow. They account for 30% of all childhood cancers
2) Brain and Central Nervous System cancers
3) Lymphomas, including Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas.
4) Neuroblastoma (originates from tissues of the brain)
5) Nephroblastoma (also known as Wilm's Tumour, affects the kidneys)
6) Rhabdomyosarcoma (affects the muscles)
7) Bone cancers including osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma
8) Retinoblastoma (originates from retina cells in the eyes)
9) Hepatoblastoma (originates from liver cells)

As earlier stressed and underlined, prevention of cancer is the most important step in combating cancer. Ways which cancer can be prevented include:
1) Do not smoke or take to***co in any form. Try as much as possible to keep your home free from smoke and avoid cigarette smoke-filled environments.
2) Be physically active. Physical activity helps to reduce the risk of getting cancer. Make sure you take a brisk walk at least 15-30 mins every day.
3) Eat healthy, drink healthy. Avoiding junk food is important.
4) Breastfeeding is beneficial to both the mother and the baby. It helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
5) Vaccinate your children against Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). This reduces the risk of liver and cervical cancers respectively.
6) Limit alcohol intake. This also helps to reduce the risk of liver cancer.
7) Avoid too much exposure to the sun. The best type of sun for your skin is the early morning sun (8-11am). Use a sunscreen if you will be in the sun for long.
8) Reduce indoor and outdoor pollution. A clean environment contributes to healthy living.
9) Participate in cancer screening programmes. They're effective ways of affording you an opportunity to be aware of your health status.