Life & Work

Gold ribbon for child leukaemia

child

The symptoms of leukaemia, which is the most common childhood cancer. are normally not specific. PHOTO | FILE

September is officially ‘child cancer awareness month.’ It is the month where people around the world walk around wearing gold ribbons to highlight the plight of children living with cancer and the challenges facing health workers in trying to deliver cancer care to the young.

What is leukaemia?
Leukaemia is the most common childhood cancer worldwide. It essentially is a cancer of the blood. Blood is made up of different cells which are manufactured inside the bones. In people with leukaemia, the blood cells manufactured are abnormal.

What symptoms should I look out for in my child?
Leukaemia symptoms are often not specific. It causes general body weakness, easy bruising, frequent infections, unexplained fever, unexpected weight loss, fatigue, recurrent nose bleeds, pain in the limbs/bones and sweating at night. The child may also have some painless swellings in the neck, armpit and groin area (known as nodes).

What could put my child at risk of developing leukaemia?
Leukaemia has been associated with chromosomal (genetic) mutations. Just like all other cancers, smoking is thought to be a risk factor (children often get exposed to ‘secondary smoke’ from adults around them. Secondary smoking refers to inhaling the cigarette fumes from someone smoking around you).

It is also associated with exposure to certain petroleum products and radiation. (Only get x-rays when absolutely necessary in pregnancy and always have your baby shielded from the rays if you must have an x-ray done. CT scans need to be avoided).

Sadly, people who have had treatment for other cancers (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) may also find themselves at risk for developing leukaemia.

Are children with Down’s Syndrome at increased risk of getting leukaemia?
Yes, children with Down’s Syndrome have a higher chance of getting leukaemia. That said, not every child with this syndrome will get leukaemia.

Is there a relationship between sickle cell anaemia and leukaemia?
Sickle cell anaemia is a problem in which the body produces abnormal blood cells. It tends to be more predominant in people from Nyanza region. Current research shows it does not put your child at higher risk of getting leukaemia.

Can an adult with leukaemia ‘pass it on’ to their child?
Children with parents or siblings with leukaemia are at a higher risk of developing it than the general population. However, this does not mean that every child whose father or mother had leukaemia will also get it.

How is it diagnosed?
It is diagnosed through proper physical examination by the paediatrician and various tests. These include blood tests, taking samples from bones (known as bone marrow apirates), examining spinal fluid and sometimes x-rays/scans (radiological images).

How is it treated?
Leukaemia is treated with drugs (chemotherapy) and radiation (radiotherapy). This is usually given over a period of weeks. It is also very important to ensure that the child gets a balanced diet. Children with leukaemia tend to have very poor appetite and the treatment often makes them feel nauseous so it is vital to ensure that you have a nutritionist help you plan your meals.

Although not currently available locally, one can get something known as a ‘stem cell transplant’ to treat leukaemia. This involves getting healthy blood forming cells into your body from another source (just the same way you can get a healthy kidney from someone else if you have kidney failure).

Will treatment make my child infertile?
This is a very common concern among parents of children with leukaemia. Most children treated for leukaemia go on to have normal reproductive lives as adults.

Can I prevent my child from getting leukaemia?
Currently there is no known preventive measure or vaccine against this disease.

Can a child get a ‘repeat episode’ after treatment?
Yes, a child can get a ‘repeat episode’ of leukaemia. This is known as a relapse. It usually requires treatment as well.

Do adults get it?
Yes, leukaemia is a disease that can affect people of all ages.

Is Kenya equipped to handle leukaemia in children?
The answer is not a simple yes or no. We currently have childhood cancer specialists in both major public and some private hospitals (mainly in Nairobi). However, at the lower level hospitals where most children in Kenya go for clinics, the basic tests which would help a doctor/nurse check for possible leukaemia cases are not there.

It is not unusual to have a child with cancer present several months down the line at Kenyatta National Hospital, when they are very unwell, because they were being treated for malaria and malnutrition instead of the leukaemia.

Is there any research in Kenya being done to find more solutions to the disease?

Kenya is a global leader in research when it comes to malaria and HIV. Cancer research, however, is not as well explored here as it is in the rest of the world. That said, there is some research being done in Western Kenya to see if they can use the simple malaria tests available locally to detect leukaemia.

How can you show your support in the fight against leukaemia in children? Wear your gold ribbon this month!