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Leukemia: The Most Common Type of Cancer Kids Can Get

by Purva Mewar | Lymphoma | Monday, March 26th, 2007

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Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in the body. Human body is made of more than nine to ten trillion cells. They cannot be seen with naked eyes, only under a powerful microscope. Since the growth or division of cells is abnormal, it causes illness. Sometimes this disorder interferes with the functioning of systems; giving feeling of unwell-ness.

When cells grow abnormally it is called cancer and when a lump of cells start growing at one place it is called tumor. This mass sometimes may not be cancer. When such a lump is not cancer it is called benign and when it is cancerous it is called malignant.

As far as kids are concerned cancer is not a very disease. Cancer is quite rare amongst kids. But if they do get it, it can be cured with chemotherapy through an IV and giving powerful energy waves called radiation in regular language. These treatments kill the cancer cells and control further growth. Doctors may recommend surgery also in case a tumor has been found in the body of a cancer affected kid. In some types of cancer that kids can get like leukemia, stem cell transplant or a bone marrow might be done to help the kid lead a healthy and happy again as before.

Kids can be affected with the following types of cancer:
Leukemia   As it has been mentioned earlier cancer is rare amongst kids, still the most common type of cancer kids can get is Leukemia. It is related to blood and blood forming organs, bone marrow. Bone marrow is where the blood cells start forming. It’s starting point for the blood cells’ formation.

For kids with cancer, white blood cells start getting formed abnormally in the bone marrow. These white blood cells do not perform their regular function of fighting infection as they themselves are infected. These infected and ever multiplying white blood cells starts affecting functioning of Red Blood Cells and platelets also. And above all these infected cells multiply and paralyze the entire system. These cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body like the bloodstream, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.

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