Leukemia and Lymphoma - Pediatric Treatments

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How we treat pediatric leukemia and lymphoma

At City of Hope, our team of pediatric experts provides comprehensive care for children with leukemia and lymphoma. We treat newly diagnosed patients, patients referred to us from other centers who come to City of Hope to continue their treatment and those who have experienced a relapse. 

Each type of childhood cancer is treated differently, based on what has been found to be most effective in destroying the particular type of cancer cell. 

Drug therapy

The most common type of cancer treatment for leukemia and lymphoma is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is treatment with anti-cancer drugs that are given into a vein, muscle, the cerebrospinal fluid or taken in pill form.

Except in the case of cerebrospinal fluid, chemo drugs enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this treatment very helpful in treating cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. 

Immunotherapy, or treatment that uses certain parts of the immune system to fight cancer, may be used as well.

Radiation therapy

In some cases, radiation therapy may be recommended. Radiation therapy uses focused, high-energy X-rays or other forms of radiation to kill cancer cells.

City of Hope is a leader in the use of radiation to treat cancers. Our advanced technologies and experienced staff can plan and deliver radiation precisely to the bone marrow, where leukemia originates, while sparing nearby organs and tissues. This results in fewer radiation-associated side effects while maintaining excellent clinical outcomes.

Bone marrow and stem cell transplantation

For children who fail to respond to treatment or experience a relapse, City of Hope has a renowned program in stem cell transplantation.

Stem cell transplantation allows doctors to deliver greater doses of radiation and drugs to fight leukemia. After the high-intensity treatments, patients are infused with blood stem cells that will grow and mature in the bone marrow, restoring their blood-forming functions.
 
City of Hope is one of the world’s largest and most successful bone marrow and stem cell transplant centers. Our Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute is a leader in setting standards for this lifesaving procedure, improving outcomes for leukemia patients of all ages.