Childhood Leukaemia
Leukaemia is the most common cancer in children. Its incidence is about 4 in
100,000 children. In Hong Kong, some 50 to 60 children are diagnosed to suffer
from leukaemia every year.
The cause of leukaemia in most patients is unknown but it may occasionally be
related to excessive irradiation such as in areas of nuclear activity, oncogenic
viruses or chemical exposure. Children with Down syndrome also have a higher
chance of developing leukaemia.
The common types of leukaemia are:
(1)Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL): accounting for about 80% of all leukaemia
cases.
(2)Acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia (ANLL) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML):
about 15% of all leukaemia cases.
(3)Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML): about 5% of all leukaemia cases.