How is childhood leukemia treated?

Making treatment decisions

Children and teens with leukemia and their families have special needs. These needs can be met best by cancer centers for children and teens, working closely with the child's primary care doctor. Treatment in these centers gives you the advantage of having teams of specialists who know the differences between cancers in adults and those in children and teens, as well as the unique needs of younger people with cancer.

For childhood leukemias, this team is typically led by a pediatric oncologist, a doctor who uses chemotherapy and other medicines to treat children's cancers. Many other specialists may be involved in your child's care as well, including nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation specialists, and other health professionals.

After leukemia is diagnosed and tests have been done to determine its type, your child's cancer care team will discuss the treatment options with you. The most important factor in choosing a treatment is the type of leukemia, but other factors also play a role.

The main treatment for childhood leukemia is chemotherapy. Other treatments such as surgery and radiation therapy may be used in special circumstances.

Treatment of acute forms of childhood leukemia (lymphocytic and myeloid) is usually very intensive, and it is important that it takes place in a center that specializes in treating childhood cancers. Your child's doctor should make sure that treatment reflects your child's risk group (based on certain prognostic factors) and that he or she will be treated according to a protocol or guidelines of the National Cancer Institute or a cooperative study group. This will ensure the most up-to-date treatment.

It's also important to ask the cancer care team about any side effects your child might develop as a result of the treatment. They can tell you about common side effects, how long they might last, and how serious they might be. Many parents find it helpful to bring a note pad or tape recorder for the doctor's discussion of their child's leukemia.

It is very important that you tell your child's doctors about any drugs, herbal remedies, or other alternative medicines you might be giving your child so that the doctors can determine if they might affect standard treatments.

The next few sections have general comments about types of treatments used for childhood leukemia. This is followed by a discussion of the typical treatment approaches based on the type of leukemia.