Childhood Acute Myeloid LeukemiaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia
View Main Condition: Leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells within the blood and bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that generates all blood components including white blood cells. Acute means the cancer develops quickly and myeloid refers to the type of white blood cells that become cancerous.
Both adults and children can get acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This article is about AML in children.
Acute myelogenous leukemia - children; AML - children; Acute granulocytic leukemia - children; Acute myeloblastic leukemia - children; Acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) - children
In children, AML is rare.
AML involves cells in the bone marrow that usually become certain types of white blood cells. These leukemia cells build up in the bone marrow and blood, leaving no space for healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets to form. Because there are not enough healthy cells to do their jobs, children with AML are more likely to have:
- Anemia (low level of red blood cells)
- Increased risk for bleeding and bruising
- Infections
Most of the time, the cause of AML is unknown. In children, some things can increase the risk of developing AML:
- Exposure to alcohol or tobacco smoke before birth
- A history of certain diseases, such as aplastic anemia
- Certain genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, neurofibromatosis, and other rare syndromes
- Previous use of certain chemotherapy medicines such as cyclophosphamide
- Past treatment with radiation therapy
Having one or more risk factor does not mean your child will develop cancer. Most children who develop AML have no known risk factors.
Symptoms of AML include:
- Feeling weak or tired
- Bone or joint pain
- Frequent infections
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Fever with or without an infection
- Night sweats
- Painless lumps in the neck, armpits, stomach, groin, or other parts of the body that may be blue or purple
- Pinpoint red spots (petechiae) under the skin caused by bleeding
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of appetite and eating less food
Treatment for children with AML may include:
- Anticancer medicines (chemotherapy)
- Certain types of targeted therapy
Bone marrow transplant is used if the leukemia returns after treatment or doesn't respond well to initial therapy with chemotherapy. This process uses high doses of chemotherapy and sometimes radiation therapy to treat the leukemia followed by transfusion of bone marrow from a compatible donor.
Supportive care includes red blood cell and platelet (a blood element that helps to stop bleeding) transfusions.
Your child's treatment team will explain the different options to you. You will want to take notes. Be sure to ask questions if you don't understand something.
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
It’s important that the treatment experience is as personal and comfortable as possible for every family. Our department has its own Family Advisory Council whose input helped bring lots of improvements – like room service, refrigerators, prayer groups, better food, and better access to social support. Making life easier for these families is a huge priority for me. Even sick kids are kids at heart (as I am), just looking for a smile, some fun, a connection with the team members who take care of them. I make it my business to make life better for these kids and their families – as a doctor and through research into promising new drugs. I’m a firm believer in clinical trials. In fact, about 80% of our patients are enrolled in clinical trials through the Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, and the Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research, where I’m director of both. This number is much higher than for adults with cancer, and much higher for children with other kinds of diseases. We also participate in the national Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program, which makes new therapies available for kids sooner. In our department, participating in clinical trials and research studies is the standard of our family-centered care. Dr. Kolb is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia. His top areas of expertise are Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Leukemia, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, and Bone Marrow Transplant.
Franco Locatelli practices in Rome, Italy. Mr. Locatelli is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia. His top areas of expertise are Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Leukemia, Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), Bone Marrow Transplant, and Splenectomy.
Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic
Phillip Knouse is a Hematologist and an Oncologist in Summit, Wisconsin. Dr. Knouse has been practicing medicine for over 10 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia. His top areas of expertise are Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia without Maturation, Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia with Maturation, and Bone Marrow Aspiration.
Having a child with cancer can make you feel very alone. Joining a support group where other parents or families share common experiences may help ease your stress.
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society -- www.lls.org
- The National Children’s Cancer Society -- thenccs.org/
Cancer can come back at any time. But for most children, AML doesn't come back after being gone for 5 years. However, there is a wide range in outcomes for different subtypes of AML, and the disease might return.
The leukemia cells can affect various organs in the body including:
- Brain
- Kidneys
- Lungs
- Skin
- Intestines
As a result of the treatment, it's common to experience:
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Weight loss
- Mouth sores
- Need for transfusions
- Infections requiring hospitalization
- Infertility
- Severe organ damage (very rarely)
Contact your child's provider for an appointment right away if your child develops these symptoms:
- Persistent fever
- Easy bruising
- Shortness of breath
- Viral infection that doesn't resolve
- Prolonged fatigue
- Any other symptoms of AML
Many childhood cancers can't be prevented. Most children who develop leukemia have no risk factors.
Summary: In resource-constrained settings such as Malawi, survival rates for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are dismally low compared to high-resource environments. This disparity highlights the urgent need for feasible treatment protocols tailored to the realities of these regions where most children with cancer are treated. In 2023, after reviewing favorable clinical trials results in other resou...
Published Date: August 12, 2024
Published By: Rachel Offenbacher, MD, Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
American Cancer Society website. What is childhood leukemia? www.cancer.org/cancer/types/leukemia-in-children/about/what-is-childhood-leukemia.html. Updated February 12, 2019. Accessed August 22, 2024.
National Cancer Institute website. Childhood acute myeloid leukemia treatment (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia/hp/child-aml-treatment-pdq. Updated June 14, 2024. Accessed August 22, 2024.
Redner A, Kessel R. Acute myeloid leukemia. In: Fish JD, Lipton JM, Lanzkowsky P, eds. Lanzkowsky's Manual of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 19.
Zwaan CM, Heidenreich O, Kolb EA. Acute myeloid leukemia in children. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 63.