1. ALL I Had By: Anthony Ottaviani

2. Leukemia Definition ALL is a malignant progressive disease in which the bone marrow and other blood-forming organs produce increased numbers of immature or abnormal leucoyctes. These leucocytes suppress the production of normal blood cells which leads to anemia and other symptoms.

3. Symptoms general weakness fatigue Anemia frequent and unexplained fever and infections weight loss and/or lack of appetite excessive bruising bone and joint pain loss of breath tiny red spots or line called Petechiae

4. Causes These factors have been found to cause or increase the risk for ALL: including parental occupation maternal reproductive history parental tobacco or alcohol use maternal diet prenatal vitamin use exposure to pesticides or solvents exposure to the highest levels of residential power-frequency magnetic fields

5. Cancer Clusters Definition : An area in which multiple children develop leukemia due to the same factor. Example: When I was diagnosed I was living in Port St. Lucie, and it was found that it was a cancer cluster. They never found out exactly which caused us all to develop ALL, but they thought it was pesticides or other solvents in the drinking water.

6. ALL Treatment 3 Stages Remission-induction phase consolidation (intensification) treatment continuation treatment

7. Remission-Induction Treatment The Remission-Induction Treatment is meant to kill most of the initial leukaemic cells and to restore to a normal healthy performance status. Called: Chemotherapy Most people register this with people losing their hair. People get a lot worse before they get better.

8. Consolidation (Intensification) Treatment This phase is basically to get rid of the cancerous cells that are might be resistant to the drug a little, and overall reduces the risk of the cancer returning later in patients lives. include high-doses of methotrexate plus mercaptopurine. During my treatment my mother would give me methotrexate shots in my leg so we didn’t have to travel 2 hours to the hospital.

9. ContinuationTreatment The continuation treatment is needed by patients to either prevent a relapse, or in some sad cases try to slow down their relapse. The most common form of continuation therapy is mercaptopurine and methotrexate every week.

10. After treatment I could not go to school so I missed my first year of pre-school because I had to wait for my immune system to build back up. They basically shutdown my immune system when I was little so that my body wouldn’t fight itself or the medication I was receiving. After Treatment

11. Organizations Some organizations that are trying to help leukemia patients, and all types of cancer include: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society They raise money for specifically families that need help with money, and also raise money to try and find a cure. http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org The American Cancer Society They raise money to help families dealing with cancer, and also raise a bunch of money to find cure for all cancer not just Leukemia. http://www.cancer.org/ Camp Fiesta Camp Fiesta is a camp that is put on each year for kids who have had or have cancer. I have been attending since I was 7 years old, and am now a counselor there. The future vision of the camp owner is for the camp to be ran by all cancer survivors. If you wish to help you can donate money at http://campfiesta.com/