Recently I transported a child who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I realized within a few minutes of conversing with the physician that I needed to improve my understanding of cancer, and the nomenclature that surrounds it. I will openly admit that it is somewhat depressing to discuss, and is typically not a topic amongst the FOAMed community. However understanding our patients diseases is an integral part of properly care and communication. I may post several blogs on various types of cancer that are either common, or require special considerations for the retrieval clinician. According to the CDC, ALL was the most common type of cancer amongst children between 2001 and 2014 (Siegel, 2017). So what does the clinician need to know about this form of cancer?
Unpacking the word “cancer” into its actual pathology and cellular course is one way to better understand prognosis and treatment options. Within our blood vessels are blood cells that carry out variable functions necessary to life, but where do these cells originate? If one were to shrink down and travel inside a bone, you would run into a spongy compartment known as “bone marrow,” imagine this as the primary factory for blood cell production.