Why Seek Treatment for Leukemia and Lymphoma at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan?
Children’s Hospital of Michigan offers a comprehensive family-centered program for pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients affected by leukemia and lymphoma. A dedicated team of pediatric specialists and subspecialists, nurse practitioners,
social work, child life and other experts are available to manage the complex care that is required to treat these life-threatening conditions.
Pediatric leukemia and lymphoma specialists have extensive experience in diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, supportive care and research, offering advanced therapy and access to clinical trials to optimize outcomes. Every new leukemia or lymphoma patient
is evaluated by one of the division specialists. Information is reviewed weekly at by a team of hematology/oncology pediatric experts to ensure the most accurate diagnostic tests are performed as well as getting input from multiple experts regarding
the most current and effective therapies available.
Children’s Hospital of Michigan also offers many clinical treatment protocols for a broad range of leukemias and lymphomas. Many of these treatments are not available at any other treatment site in the State of Michigan. In partnership with St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of Michigan is the only hospital in the state that offers protocols for both newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as well as relapsed
leukemias.
What is Leukemia and Lymphoma?
Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens, accounting for almost 1 out of 3 cancers. Overall, however, childhood leukemia
is a rare disease. Leukemia is cancer of blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow. Treatment is highly variable. For slow-growing leukemias, treatment may include monitoring. For aggressive leukemias, treatment includes chemotherapy that's sometimes
followed by radiation and stem-cell transplant. Biologic therapy to get the body’s immune system to fight the cancer is also used for certain leukemias.
Lymphoma is the third most common cancer in children, adolescents and young adults younger than 20 years of age according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Lymphoma cancer begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system, called lymphocytes. These cells are in the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and other parts of the body. When you have lymphoma, lymphocytes change and grow out of control.
Lymphatic cancers are classified by the type of immune cells affected. The two main types are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin. Within these, there are many subtypes. Standard treatments for lymphoma include chemotherapy and radiation therapy to kill cancer
cells. When high dosages of chemotherapy are required, a stem cell transplant may be performed to replace blood-forming cells destroyed by treatment. Targeted therapies that identify and attack specific cancer cells while sparing healthy nearby tissue
are also used to treat these cancers. Pediatric surgeons may need to remove tumors for other therapies to be successful.
