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Reduced-Intensity Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation (sometimes called mini-transplant or nonmyeloablative transplant), like a standard allogeneic stem cell transplantation, uses stem cells from a donor, but the conditioning treatment contains lower, less toxic doses of chemotherapy and radiation. This type of SCT may be an option for certain patients who are older or who are otherwise not healthy enough or strong enough to undergo standard allogeneic SCT.

Follow-Up Care

Your child will undergo frequent follow-up tests during the first year after treatment, but they will be done less often during the second and third years. Each patient has a different follow-up care schedule. How often your child has follow-up visits is based on your child’s type of AML and the treatments given. Your child’s doctor will let you know the schedule that is right for your child.

Children should visit their pediatrician or doctor at least once a year for a complete physical exam and any additional needed tests. The oncologist should also regularly examine the child.

Carly

November 25, 2022 ― the worst day of my life, the day I received my official cancer diagnosis, stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Leading up to this day, I was always a healthy, active young lady. I was 23 years old and eager to start this next phase in life. Exciting things were happening. We were fairly new homeowners, I had just changed jobs/occupations, and I married the love of my life in October.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing hairy cell leukemia usually involves a series of tests, including blood tests and bone marrow tests.

Gianna

My story began nearly seven years ago on February 28 when I received the call from my doctor and heard those dreaded words, “You have cancer.” A week prior, I had gotten a lymph node biopsy for a lump that randomly grew on my neck. As a healthy 19-year-old, cancer was the furthest thing from my mind, and receiving a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) was simply unbelievable to me and my family. Hearing this news began a three-week blur of diagnostic testing and meetings with oncologists, fertility specialists, and surgeons before my first chemotherapy treatment on March 23, 2015.

Trisha

In November 2019, Trisha and her husband were thrilled to have given birth to her second daughter. At this time, she went to visit her OBGYN for her 6-Week Postpartum Exam, and to her surprise, her doctor noticed she had an enlarged spleen and liver. She was immediately instructed to go to the emergency room, where she was admitted for one week. After a bone marrow biopsy, Trisha was diagnosed with plasma cell leukemia (PCL). Three days later, I went to another follow-up with my oncologist.

Lisa

As a new graduate with a master’s degree in psychology, I, among many others, am applying to jobs out in the 'real world.' Recently, one of the job applications asked me to describe myself in three words. My answer consisted of adjectives such as determined, capable and diligent. The one word that best describes me though is one I did not say, and that is survivor.

Kristen

In the fall of 2012, Kristen Comer noticed her energy level wasn't as high as it had been, but she thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until the fall of 2013 when she had unidentifiable bruises on her body and no change in her energy levels, that her general practitioner drew labs to determine a diagnosis. After three panels of blood work, Kristen was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) on December 31, 2013.

Courtney

In March 2022, I began experiencing unusual symptoms of fatigue, nausea, persistent infections, and bloody noses and gums, but I didn’t think much of it. Following a lucky-timed appointment with my primary care doctor and multiple blood tests, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Cancer isn’t something an otherwise “healthy” 27-year-old thinks will come out of a doctor’s mouth.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy, also known as “radiotherapy,” uses high energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. While most blood cancers cannot be cured with radiation therapy alone, it may be combined other treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Radiation therapy may also be used to relieve symptoms of blood cancer and improve quality of life. For example, radiation therapy may be used to shrink an enlarged spleen, liver or lymph nodes. It may also be used to manage bone pain caused by cancer cells growing in the bone marrow. 

Hodgkin Lymphoma

• Is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system
• Is one of the most curable forms of cancer
• Is named for Dr. Thomas Hodgkin who, in 1832, described several cases of people with symptoms of a cancer involving the lymph nodes. The disease was called "Hodgkin's disease" until it was officially renamed "Hodgkin lymphoma" in the late 20th century.

Click here to access Hodgkin lymphoma statistics.

Treatment

The main treatment for AML is chemotherapy given in phases.

Not every child with AML receives the same treatment. Your child’s doctor will tailor your child’s treatment based on the AML subtype and other factors, such as age, health and how the cancer responds to treatment.

Your child’s treatment may include:

Lyra

Lyra is a confident three year old who spreads joy wherever she goes! She loves to sing, dance, draw, snuggle while reading stories and is rarely seen in anything but a princess dress. If you happen to pass Lyra at the store, she will most certainly ask you your name and probably tell you all about her favorite my little pony or what she ate for breakfast.

Todd

This cause is dear to me because my grandmother, Anne Zavorskas, passed away several years ago from Hodgkin’s disease--a form of leukemia. Also, many years ago, my mentor’s son, Ryan Hurley, had a recurrence of leukemia, which he was first diagnosed with at the age of three. He died at the age of 19. Unfortunately, leukemia at the time caused more deaths than any other cancer in children under the age of 20.  These instances led me to my desire to donate time and money to this particular charity. I have volunteered my time and fundraising expertise ever since.

Will

In April 2021, as I was just starting to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, I started to feel unwell. I was suddenly very tired and could not finish a soccer match. My family and I decided to reach out to our family doctor and look into my fatigue; we were not worried at all. We attributed my symptoms to adolescence and growth, and so did our doctor at first.

Myeloma Overview

As black Americans are at twice the risk for myeloma as whites, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has created Myeloma Link to increase access to education and treatment for myeloma in African American communities.

Don

In January of 2016, my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). He was unresponsive to treatment. He went into remission, but it quickly came back. The clinic said they couldn’t do anything more, so he was referred to the University of Minnesota for a clinical trial. The treatment included me, as his daughter, donating my T-cells. The clinical trial was helpful but didn’t get the results he needed, and cancer came back.

Nancy

Being a lymphoma survivor means that you have lived through something very challenging. There is no doubt that cancer is one of the most challenging diseases. The treatments for this disease are very intense physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a retired oncology registered nurse, I saw the pain and desperation in the eyes and lives of my patients and their families. Never imagined that I was to become a cancer patient myself.

Infections

Cancer patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy, are more likely to get infections because of their weakened immune systems. Cancer and certain cancer therapies can damage the immune system by reducing the number of infection-fighting white blood cells. Patients with a low white blood cell count are at a higher risk of developing infections, and these infections can be more serious and harder to treat. In severe cases, infections can lead to death.

FDA Approves First Drug for The Prevention of Acute Graft Versus Host Disease

FDA Approves BiTE Therapy for Adults and Children with Leukemia Subtype

David

On June 17, 2014, 12-year-old David Stim visited his pediatrician's office to have a routine school physical. During the exam, the nurse practitioner noticed an enlarged lymph node on the right side of his neck and surmised that it probably due to a reaction to something, as is almost always the case in pediatrics. Since David had been treated for strep throat the month before, there was not much cause for concern.

The International Prognostic Scoring System

Specific factors may affect the prognosis (likely outcome) of MDS, and help doctors determine when to start treatment and how intensive the treatment should be. These factors include:

Brenda

Hello, my name is Brenda. I am 26 years old and have been in remission for three years now. Back in the very beginning of 2015, I started getting sick. I had been working in a daycare for a few months, so I just figured it was a cold. I didn’t get better. I eventually reached the point where I couldn’t breathe, and I was burning up, so I was taken to the hospital. That was the morning I will never forget. I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Getting the news that you have cancer isn’t an easy thing to believe. At first, you’re skeptical.

Sonia

In an instant, my life changed. “You have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). There is no cure but patients can live for several years.” These were the words I received a few years ago at the age of 39 with three small children. I have been on an educational journey of self-discovery, cancer research, and patient advocacy ever since.