What is leukemia?

Leukemia, commonly known as white blood cell cancer or leukocyte cancer, is a type of blood cell malignancy that originates from the bone marrow. Did you know that childhood leukemia is the most common type of malignancy in children? In Indonesia, leukemia accounts for 75% of all cancer cases in children.

In leukemia, there is a proliferation of white blood cells with the manifestation of excessive abnormal cells in the peripheral blood (blast cells), causing the displacement of normal blood cells and impairing their function.

Signs and Symptoms of Leukemia

Due to this disorder, various symptoms can arise, such as: anemia, bleeding, susceptibility to infections, fever, joint/bone pain, organ enlargement (organomegaly), chloroma, hyperleukocytosis.

There are several risk factors for a child to develop leukemia, including genetic factors and environmental factors.

Types of Leukemia

Leukemia is divided into:

• Acute: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML)

• Chronic: Chronic Lymphoblastic Leukemia (CLL), Chronic Myeloblastic Leukemia (CML)

In children, the most common type of leukemia is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Can leukemia be cured?

The success of leukemia treatment depends on the type of leukemia and its risk stratification. Patients with high-risk leukemia have a poorer prognosis. In Indonesia, the survival rate of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is reported to be 70-80%. However, it is important to remember that there is always a risk of relapse, which is the return of disease signs and symptoms after achieving remission (recovery).

Author: Dr. Iman Susanto (Medical Consultant Doctor, Pramita Clinical Laboratory, Jl. Samanhudi No. 21, Central Jakarta)