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Gisenia
In October 2015, Gisenia Reyes heard the words "You have cancer." Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive type of blood cancer. She immediately underwent chemotherapy treatment to save her life.
Gisenia attained remission status, however, she still had a mutation in her blood work, which could cause her to relapse.
Carson
In October 2016, after a few months of asymptomatic fevers, joint pain, and extreme irritability Carson was admitted to the University of Virginia Children's Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia where she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Bonnie
My dad, Larry Vogl, was diagnosed with leukemia out of the blue in November 2014. In the picture, he is with my three boys and my nephew (his four grandsons). They are the reason for the fight!
I am also the oldest of six kids, and my dad has always done and will always do anything for us - putting his kids first.
He is my inspiration for running, yet, my journey seems to pale in comparison to his. I look forward to sharing the Team In Training miles with my youngest sister Jamie, and representing our whole family in honor of our dad.
Treatment
It's important that your doctor is experienced in treating patients with acute leukemia or has access to an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) specialist.
Types of ALL TreatmentDoctors use several types of approaches and treatment combinations for ALL:
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the main treatment for ALL. The phases of treatment include the following:
Induction TherapyThe first phase of chemotherapy is called “induction therapy.” Induction therapy
Shameel
Telling a child that they have cancer and explaining what that means is one of the most difficult conversations you can have with your child.
Shameel was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at age 7. As a mother, I couldn't imagine my young, courageous boy, who appeared happy and healthy, not being able to do stuff like tennis, ice skating, piano, and swimming, which he enjoyed and had mastered. It was very shocking to me, and I was in denial for almost a month as cancer does not run in our family.
Lashelle
In 2019, knots started to appear on my neck and jawline. My face was also massively swollen. I was unrecognizable. I had difficulty breathing, and major parts of my body were swollen as well. After several tests and two surgeries, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma (NHL). I was told that if the cancer had stages, I was considered stage 4.
Treatment
The main treatment for ALL is chemotherapy given in phases. Most treatment regimens take 2 to 3 years to complete.
Not every child with ALL receives the same treatment. Your child’s doctor will tailor your child’s treatment based on the ALL subtype and other factors, such as age, health and how the cancer responds to treatment.
Your child’s treatment may also include:
Side Effects
Most ALL treatment side effects are temporary and subside once the body adjusts to therapy or after the therapy is completed. If side effects become severe, children may need to be hospitalized.
Side effects common to ALL and its treatment include:
Splenectomy
A splenectomy is the procedure done to remove the spleen. Before effective drugs became available for hairy cell leukemia, splenectomy was the first-line treatment for the disease.
Side Effects
Cancer therapy for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) can sometimes produce side effects. For most patients, treatment side effects are temporary and go away once therapy ends. For others, side effects can be more severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization. Some patients never have side effects.
Before your child undergoes treatment, talk with his or her doctor about potential side effects. Drugs and other therapies can prevent or manage many side effects.
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.
Side Effects
Therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can produce side effects. For most patients, treatment side effects are temporary and go away once therapy ends. For other patients, side effects can be severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
Before you start treatment, talk with your doctor about potential side effects. Drugs and other therapies can prevent or manage many side effects. Many treatment side effects go away or become less noticeable over time.
Common Side EffectsThe side effects you may experience depend on:
Ellie
Because she did not have symptoms, Ellie's diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) at age four was incredibly shocking. Just one month after diagnosis, she was discharged from the hospital, already in remission. She responded extremely well to chemotherapy and very rarely felt sick. Ellie is now a healthy, very active 11 year old and a competitive gymnast, practicing 20 hours a week. She loves to play softball, hang with her friends, and go to the beach. Ellie is thankful to everyone who participates in the Light The Night Walk and helps kids like her fight cancer.
Halimeh
On June 3, 2014, I went to my local hospital for blood work after noticing unexplained bruising and nose bleed. That day changed my life forever.
John
I've been a cancer survivor since my bone marrow transplant at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in 2004. I have minimal side effects and continue doing what I love -- spending time with family and friends, cycling, and teaching high school photography and video production. One year after my transplant I did my first Team In Training event, a century ride in Lake Tahoe. I continued to do four more events. My high school video students put on a film festival every year to support the Northwest Chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Diane
Mary was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in May 2016. After a few rounds of chemotherapy that were ineffective in fighting the AML, she was transferred to a hospital specializing in AML research and has been participating in a medical trial.
This involved 75 hours of high intensity chemotherapy. She then spent 54 days in the hospital attached to an IV cart.
Her latest check-up revealed a few "stragglers" that need to be eliminated before she can proceed to transplant.
Emma
My dad, Panos, was diagnosed with kidney cancer when I was in the fourth grade. His cancer progressed very fast, and he passed away in 2019. My mom, Tricia, was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) shortly after. She has had many doctor appointments during this time, and I am so excited to be able to support her through it all and help raise awareness! I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by cancer, growing up visiting my grandma and dad in the hospital at a young age, and I am hoping to make a change by raising money for research and more.
Treatment Outcomes
The cure rates and survival outcomes for patients with ALL have improved over the past few decades. Today, nearly 90 percent of adults diagnosed with ALL achieve a complete remission, which means that leukemia cells can no longer be seen in the bone marrow with a microscope. Still, despite high remission rates, relapses still commonly occur in adults and survival rates for adult patients remain at approximately 20 to 40 percent. However, these rates can vary significantly, depending on the patient’s ALL subtype and other prognostic factors.
Follow-Up Care
Click here for information about follow-up care, including what to expect, long-term and late effects of treatment, survivorship clinics, and other resources such as The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines.
Parents of JMML patients are advised to discuss survival information with their child's doctor. The treatment of JMML patients hasn't led to long-lasting remissions in most cases. However, individual factors influence patient outcomes. See Treatment Outcomes.
Chemotherapy and Drug Therapy
Chemotherapy drugs kill fast-growing cells throughout the body, including both cancer cells and normal, healthy cells. The damage to normal, healthy cells can cause side effects. Chemotherapy is typically given in cycles. Each cycle is made up of a certain number of days of treatment, followed by a certain number of days of rest.
Leo
Five-year-old Leo was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in June 2019. His parents had noticed bruising on his legs, petechiae around his eyes, fatigue, and shortness of breath, but because the symptoms didn’t present all at once, they didn’t think it was anything serious. Thankfully, on a Friday afternoon, Leo was due for a check-up where the nurse noticed the bruising on his legs and ordered a blood test.
Jonathan
This story is memory of my late fiancé, Jonathan Bentley, who passed away from acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) at the age of 33 after a week-long battle. Jon was a truly amazing person; the type that you wish everyone could meet once in their lifetime. Although he is now gone, I wish to honor his beautiful spirit by sharing a little bit about him.
Jay
Nana’s Heroes was started to honor Lois “Nana” Bowen. Jay, Nana’s grandson, was 13 when he found out she was sick. Around ninth grade, he wanted to do something about it. Although he couldn’t fix her all up or make her all better, he could help raise money to help find a cure for the awful disease that she had.