According to statistics, about 175,000 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with cancer every year worldwide, and 30% of childhood cancers are leukemia.
Moreover, the specific cause of leukemia is still unclear, and it is difficult to effectively prevent it.
Although there is no effective preventive measure for childhood leukemia at present, we can detect and treat symptoms in time, and we can also reduce the risk of disease through eating habits and living environment in daily life.
Symptoms of leukemia
Common symptoms of acute leukemia include increasingly severe anemia, fever, fatigue, easy bleeding, skin ecchymosis, and joint pain.
There are no obvious symptoms in the early stage of chronic leukemia, and as the disease progresses, fever, fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, oral bleeding and other phenomena will gradually appear.
Causes of leukemia
The etiology of leukemia is largely unknown, but according to existing medical studies, radioactive contamination, indoor benzene-containing decoration materials, excessive use of pesticides, food contamination (gutter oil, harmful additives) and other aspects may induce leukemia.
The Analysis of 1236 cases of pediatric acute leukemia by the Hematology Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences showed that family genetics accounted for 6.8%, new decoration of the living environment within 3 years accounted for 11%, long-term exposure to toxic substances such as pesticides accounted for 12%, and maternal abnormalities accounted for 5%.
Diagnostic tests for leukemia
Physical examination: check whether there is anemia, whether there is bleeding in the oral mucosa and gums, whether there is swelling of superficial lymph nodes, liver and spleen, and masses.
Blood sample tests: blood routine, biochemical, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and immunology.
Bone marrow examination: bone marrow puncture examination, also referred to as bone puncture. Through the test of bone marrow, the child's condition, disease type and judgment therapy are evaluated.
Is leukemia a terminal illness?
Leukemia is also known as "blood cancer", in people's minds, "cancer" = terminal illness, is not curable. In fact, with the development of modern medicine, the treatment of leukemia has also made major breakthroughs, and most patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia can be cured.
The odds of maintaining an optimistic mindset, actively cooperating with treatment, and achieving a cure or remaining stable for the long term are very high.
Prevention of leukemia
In the 1990s, studies in the United States found that children in families who regularly used pesticides had a 3.8 times higher rate of leukemia than children in families that did not use pesticides. Therefore, children's exposure to toxins, radiation and other environments should be avoided or reduced.
According to research by the Chinese Center for Disease Control, dietary factors account for 1/3 of the causes of cancer, and diet can not only cause cancer, but also prevent and inhibit cancer.
Long-term excessive intake of fat, carbohydrates, fried, smoked and other foods can induce cancer.
Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. According to relevant studies, cruciferous vegetables, solanaceous vegetables, fruits, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, leeks and other foods rich in vitamins and dietary fiber are closely related to humoral immunity and cellular immune function.
It is not difficult to find that paying more attention to the environment, diet and other aspects may reduce the risk of leukemia.