What is Leukemia? | Cincinnati Children's

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What is Leukemia?

Our bodies are made up of trillions of tiny little things called cells. That’s more than the grains of sand on a small beach. Actually, cells are even smaller than grains of sand. A million cells can be the size of one grain of sand.

Not only are cells very tiny, but we also have different types of cells in our bodies. We have cells in our hair, in our skin and in our blood. Blood cells are made through a special process inside your bones - in a soft and spongy material called bone marrow.

Bone marrow is like a factory that builds cells. These cells come out as red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Each cell has a different job to do. Red blood cells give energy to your body. White blood cells fight off disease. And platelets help your body stop bleeding if you get a cut.

Some cells don’t grow up as expected. These cells are known as cancer cells, and they don’t behave like normal cells. In leukemia, the white blood cells – the ones that fight off infection – are the ones that don’t grow up and can’t do their jobs properly. There are other problems with cancer cells. For example, when they multiply and divide, they do not know when to stop and when to die off, and they will destroy good cells close to them.

To help y​ou get better, ​doctors will give you medicines called chemotherapy to get rid of all of the unhealthy cells. You can get this medicine through something called a central line or as a pill. The medicine is very strong and can destroy some healthy cells too, which can make you feel tired and weak. You could also lose some of your hair.

This is OK though, because your bone marrow can always make more healthy cells and your hair will grow back. The important thing is making sure all the unhealthy cells are completely gone so you can feel better again.

Now that you know the basics about leukemia, there are a few important things to remember: your cancer is NOT contagious and it is not your fault. Many other kids have leukemia too. Even some of the doctors or nurses who are helping you get better may have had leukemia. Cincinnati Children’s is here to answer your questions, so don’t be afraid to ask.