Novel Test Improves Survival Rate of Childhood Cancer

It is heartening to know that there is a huge improvement in survival rates of childhood cancer with the development of a novel test that can aid early detection of the cancer in children.

According to Australian experts, this test can increase the survival rates by twice as much.

About Leukemia
Encyclopedia section of medindia gives general information about Leukemia

Doctors from the Sydney Children's Hospital and the children's hospital at Westmead have developed a new test which can assess the presence of even small levels of leukemia in children’s bone marrow.

In the event of cancer cells being detected, patients can begin the treatment early to improve the outcome.

A 10-year study into the efficacy of such tests showed that the survival rates improved from 35 per cent to 70 per cent in cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Causes-Symptoms-Diagnosis-Treatment-Prognosis-FAQs
Acute myeloid Leukemia, more popularly known by its abbreviated form AML, is a fast- evolving leukemia that affects both children and adults alike

Professor Glenn Marshall from the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick has said that this is a crucial step in improvement of personalized cancer care. The test also enables a report of children who are in the high risk category of relapse, therefore treatment can improve their chances of survival.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Incidence Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the cancer of white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts. It is the most common of all childhood cancers and can be fatal in weeks if left untreated.

Source-Medindia