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They're young and inexperienced, but eager to learn and fit into the adult world, says Dr. Mark Zoccolillo, a psychiatrist in the adolescent medicine clinic at the MUHC. Teenagers also have a sense of invincibility and are highly susceptible to peer pressure.
Bone marrow is a blood-like substance found inside our bones. It’s important because of its role in making all kinds of blood cells: red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infections and platelets that help blood clot.
Cancer is not just one disease but many different diseases. What all cancers have in common though is they cause the development of abnormal cells in the body that can grow and take over normal, healthy tissue. There are a number of treatments that exist for both adults and children with cancer, and treatment plans may include any or all of the following:
Leukemia is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in children and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL as it’s commonly called, is the most common type of leukemia. ALL is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, and it affects the body's white blood cells (WBCs). Normally, these cells help fight infection and protect the body against disease. But in leukemia, these cells turn cancerous and multiply when they shouldn't, resulting in too many abnormal WBCs.
