Condition Lookup

Leukemia (e.g., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia [ALL], Acute Myeloid Leukemia [AML])

Specialty: Pediatrics

Category: Hematologic and Oncologic Disorders

Symptoms:
fatigue; pallor; easy bruising or bleeding; frequent infections; bone or joint pain; fever; swollen lymph nodes; unexplained weight loss

Root Cause:
Abnormal proliferation of immature white blood cells in the bone marrow, leading to suppression of normal blood cell production.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests (complete blood count, peripheral smear), bone marrow biopsy, cytogenetic analysis, flow cytometry, lumbar puncture (to assess central nervous system involvement).

Treatment:
Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy (in specific cases), stem cell transplant (for high-risk or relapsed cases).

Medications:
Commonly prescribed medications include chemotherapy agents such as vincristine (microtubule inhibitor), methotrexate (antimetabolite), cytarabine (antimetabolite), and daunorubicin (anthracycline). Targeted therapies, like tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g., imatinib for Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL), may also be used.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, accounting for about 25-30% of pediatric cancers. AML is less common but still significant in children.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history of leukemia, genetic disorders (e.g., Down syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome), prior exposure to radiation or chemotherapy, and certain environmental exposures.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Prognosis varies by subtype; 5-year survival rates for ALL exceed 85% in children with appropriate treatment, whereas survival for AML is lower but improving with advancements in therapy.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Complications include anemia, infections, bleeding disorders, relapse, and late effects of chemotherapy (e.g., cardiotoxicity, neurocognitive decline, secondary malignancies).

Wilms' Tumor (Nephroblastoma)

Specialty: Pediatrics

Category: Hematologic and Oncologic Disorders

Sub-category: Oncologic Conditions

Symptoms:
abdominal mass or swelling; abdominal pain; blood in the urine (hematuria); fever; nausea; loss of appetite; high blood pressure

Root Cause:
Malignant tumor originating from embryonal kidney cells, typically affecting one kidney but occasionally bilateral.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies (ultrasound, CT, MRI), biopsy or surgical removal of the tumor for histopathological examination, and blood/urine tests.

Treatment:
Surgery (nephrectomy), chemotherapy, and in some cases, radiation therapy.

Medications:
Chemotherapy agents include actinomycin D (antitumor antibiotic), vincristine (microtubule inhibitor), and doxorubicin (anthracycline).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 children, most commonly diagnosed in children aged 3 to 4 years.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic syndromes (e.g., WAGR syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Denys-Drash syndrome), family history of Wilms' tumor, and certain congenital abnormalities.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Favorable in most cases; 5-year survival rates exceed 90% with prompt and appropriate treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Complications include metastasis (commonly to the lungs), kidney dysfunction, recurrence, and long-term effects of chemotherapy or radiation.

Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Specialty: Pediatrics

Category: Hematologic and Oncologic Disorders

Sub-category: Oncologic Conditions

Symptoms:
painless swelling of lymph nodes; fever; night sweats; unexplained weight loss; fatigue; itchy skin; abdominal pain or swelling (in non-hodgkin lymphoma); cough or difficulty breathing (in cases affecting the chest)

Root Cause:
Malignant transformation of lymphocytes; Hodgkin lymphoma is characterized by Reed-Sternberg cells, whereas non-Hodgkin lymphoma involves a broader range of lymphocyte subtypes.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Lymph node biopsy, imaging (CT, PET scans), bone marrow biopsy, and blood tests.

Treatment:
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy (e.g., rituximab for CD20-positive lymphomas), and stem cell transplantation for refractory cases.

Medications:
Chemotherapy regimens include agents such as doxorubicin (anthracycline), bleomycin (antitumor antibiotic), vinblastine (microtubule inhibitor), and dacarbazine (alkylating agent) for Hodgkin lymphoma, and combinations like cyclophosphamide , prednisone , vincristine , and doxorubicin (CHOP) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Hodgkin lymphoma accounts for about 6% of childhood cancers, while non-Hodgkin lymphoma represents 5-7%. Both are more common in adolescents than younger children.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, immunosuppression, Epstein-Barr virus infection (in Hodgkin lymphoma), and certain genetic conditions (e.g., Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia).

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent for early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma, with 5-year survival rates exceeding 90%. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma prognosis depends on subtype and stage, with survival rates ranging from 70-90%.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Complications include secondary malignancies, organ toxicity (from chemotherapy or radiation), infections, and relapse.

Spinal Cord Compression from Malignancy

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Hematologic and Oncologic Emergencies

Sub-category: Oncologic Conditions

Symptoms:
back pain; numbness; weakness in the limbs; loss of bowel or bladder control; difficulty walking

Root Cause:
Direct tumor invasion or vertebral metastases compressing the spinal cord or cauda equina.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI of the spine is the gold standard; clinical examination and sometimes CT scans.

Treatment:
High-dose corticosteroids (e.g., dexamethasone) to reduce inflammation, urgent radiation therapy, surgical decompression if indicated.

Medications:
Dexamethasone (corticosteroid to reduce swelling), analgesics (for pain control), bisphosphonates (e.g., zoledronic acid for bone metastases).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in 5-10% of cancer patients, particularly those with lung, breast, prostate cancers, or lymphoma.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Advanced cancer with metastases, history of vertebral fractures, rapidly progressing malignancies.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Early treatment can preserve neurologic function; delayed intervention increases risk of permanent paralysis.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Permanent paralysis, intractable pain, loss of bowel/bladder function, decreased quality of life.