|
Leukemia can be either fast growing (acute), or slower growing
(chronic). Almost all leukemia in children is acute.
Acute leukemias
There are 2 main types of acute leukemia:
- Acute
lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), also called acute
lymphoblastic leukemia, accounts for about 3 out of 4 cases of
childhood leukemia. This leukemia starts from the lymphoid cells in the
bone marrow.
- Acute
myelogenous leukemia (AML), also called acute
myeloid leukemia, accounts for most of the remaining cases. This
leukemia starts from the cells that form white blood cells (other than
lymphocytes), red blood cells, or platelets.
- Hybrid
or mixed lineage
leukemias are rare. The
cells have features of both ALL and AML. They are most often treated
like ALL and respond to treatment like ALL.
Chronic leukemias
Chronic leukemia is also divided into 2 types, but these forms
of leukemia are very rare in children. They are not covered here. If
you need information on these, please see our documents Leukemia--Chronic Myeloid
or Leukemia--Chronic
Lymphocytic.
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML)
This rare type of leukemia is neither chronic nor acute. It
isn't as fast growing as acute myelogenous leukemia or as slow as
chronic myeloid leukemia. It occurs most often in young children (under
age 4). Symptoms can include pale skin, fever, cough, trouble breathing
(due to too many white blood cells in the lungs), and a swollen spleen
and lymph nodes.
Last Medical Review: 07/17/2009
Last Revised: 07/17/2009
|
