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Child Health A-Z

Who Leukemia Affects

Leukemia is the most common form of cancer in childhood. It affects approximately 3,800 children each year in the United States, accounting for about 30 percent of childhood cancers.

There are different types of leukemia. According to the American Cancer Society:

  • Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the type of leukemia that most commonly affects children, most often between the ages of 2 and 3 years. ALL accounts for about 73 percent of leukemia cases each year in the US.
  • Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the second most common form of leukemia in children. AML generally occurs by the age of 2 years, and is not often seen in older children until the teenage years. AML is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.
  • The chronic forms of leukemia are rarely seen in children.

What causes leukemia in children?
 

Last Update
March 7, 2012
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Last Update
March 7, 2012
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