It moves fast, so it needs an urgent diagnosis
Also known as blood cancer, leukemia starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and blocks the body's ability to fight infection. It is the most common cancer of childhood, and treatment succeeds far more often when it is caught early.
A first in TürkiyeWhat is it?
What is leukemia (blood cancer)?
Leukemia is a cancer in which blood cells are produced abnormally and fail to mature. Normally blood is produced in the bone marrow, and healthy blood cells mature to meet the body's needs. In leukemia the bone marrow starts producing abnormal blood cells instead.
Leukemia falls into two main categories:
Acute leukemia: Young, abnormal blood cells that never complete the maturation process multiply rapidly. Patients can deteriorate quickly with this type.
Chronic leukemia: More mature blood cells are produced abnormally. It can progress more slowly and patients may have a longer life expectancy.
The exact cause of leukemia is not known, although certain genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a part.
Diagnosis and treatment rely on methods such as blood tests and bone marrow biopsy. Treatment varies with the type and stage of the leukemia and the patient's general health. Chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation and targeted drug therapy are all commonly used.
For people diagnosed with leukemia, early detection and appropriate treatment can help bring the disease under control and improve quality of life. Even so, leukemia is a serious illness and treatment can be demanding. It matters that patients and their families work with medical specialists and accept support through the process.
Early diagnosis saves livesIt moves fast, so it needs an urgent diagnosis
Young, abnormal blood cells that never complete the maturation process multiply rapidly. Onset is often sudden and fast, with clinical signs and symptoms appearing within one to two months.
That is why a diagnosis has to be made quickly and treatment started as soon as possible. The most common type in children is acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
- Paleness and fatigue
- Recurring fever
- Bruising and bleeding
- Bone pain
2–8 November
Children with Leukemia Week. An information booklet for schools and workplaces, classroom activities and “Remember a Child” campaign materials are ready.
Leukemia guide
Every question, answered topic by topic.
What is leukemia?
The definition of a cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue.
What are the types of leukemia?
Acute and chronic types, and the ones most common in children.
What are the symptoms of leukemia?
Signs such as paleness, fever, bruising and bone pain.
What causes leukemia?
Known risk factors and how the disease develops.
How is leukemia diagnosed?
The process that runs from a blood count to a bone marrow test.
How is leukemia treated?
Chemotherapy protocols, transplantation and the follow-up period.
Talking with children with leukemia
Guidance for families and the people around them.
Diagnosis and treatment
How does the process work?
A diagnosis is made through a blood count and a bone marrow test. The treatment plan is set according to the child's age, the type of leukemia and the risk group; chemotherapy is the main treatment for most children. Some patients need a bone marrow transplant.
Blood count and examination
If the full blood count is abnormal, the child is referred to paediatric haematology.
Bone marrow test
The type and subgroup of leukemia are identified, and the treatment protocol follows from that.
Treatment and follow-up
Chemotherapy, and where needed radiotherapy or a transplant, followed by long-term monitoring.
Bone marrow transplant
The first paediatric transplant in Türkiye was performed at our foundation.
The transplant carried out in the foundation's unit in 1989 was the first bone marrow transplant performed on a child in Türkiye. 199 transplants have been carried out since. A transplant replaces the patient's diseased bone marrow with healthy blood-forming cells; finding a tissue-matched donor is the most critical step in the process.
- 1,139
children treated with medication
- 25beds
children's ward opened in 1986
Opened by Prime Minister Turgut Özal and Semra Özal; the first institution to give children with leukemia private rooms.
- 199
bone marrow transplants
- 2firsts
children's ward opened in 1986
26 October 1989 — every paediatric transplant centre in the country traces its lineage back to here.
Becoming a donor
One blood sample, one chance for a child.
Healthy people aged 18 to 50 can register with the stem cell donor bank by giving a blood sample. Registering enters you into tissue matching; if you are a match, you will be contacted.