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DR ELLIE CANNON: It's heartbreaking to tell a parent that their child has leukaemia, but it can be beaten

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Full recovery: Actress Julie Walters with her daughter Maisie

Recently, I had to break the news to a parent that their child had leukaemia. As a parent myself, I can’t bear to think about how difficult this must be to take.

But there is some good news about this blood cancer  – the outlook for children with many forms of the disease is improving greatly.

The most common type of leukaemia  in children is ALL, or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which affects 450 children a year in the UK.

Mamma Mia! actress Julie Walters was devastated when her daughter Maisie was diagnosed with ALL at the age of two, but after undergoing chemotherapy she went on to make a full recovery.

How can you get cancer of the blood?

It occurs when the bone marrow, where blood cells are made, starts to overproduce immature blood cells. These take over the blood and fewer normal cells are produced, so the blood can’t function normally and carry oxygen around the body. This type of leukaemia develops  and worsens quickly.

What are the symptoms to look out for?

Bruises and spontaneous bleeding such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums are typical. Children become anaemic quickly and the symptoms are tiredness, paleness and breathlessness. These come on rapidly and dramatically, with a marked change within weeks.

How is it diagnosed?

An urgent blood test would be taken, which gives a good idea if there is a problem. The diagnosis is confirmed using a bone-marrow biopsy, which takes a sample using a needle so cells can be seen under a microscope.

What can be done for these children?

Many factors affect treatment and prognosis but children with ALL tend to do well. A study in 2008 of children aged between one and nine with the disease showed that 88 per cent were well five years after treatment, due to better drugs.

What exactly is the treatment?

Mostly chemotherapy using highly toxic drugs to kill the abnormal blood cells. This can take as long as two years. The treatment depends on the exact type of leukaemia. Radiotherapy or a bone-marrow transplant may also be used.

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