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What Is

What Is a Bone Marrow Transplant?

What Is a Bone Marrow Transplant?

by | Mar 7, 2023

You just learned that your child has to have a bone marrow transplant. It sounds ominous. You have a lot of questions. Like, what exactly is bone marrow and what is a bone marrow transplant? Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. It creates red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. In addition, bone marrow contains immature blood-forming cells known as hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs. These stem cells are unspecialized, and they can either remain stem cells or mature into different kinds of blood cells. A bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure that replaces bone marrow that has been damaged or destroyed by disease, infection, or chemotherapy. It involves transplanting healthy blood stem cells into the patient so that they can travel to the patient’s bone marrow where they start producing new blood cells and promote growth of new bone marrow. Healthy...

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What Is a Lumbar Puncture? What is a Spinal Tap?

What Is a Lumbar Puncture? What is a Spinal Tap?

by | Feb 27, 2023

It’s scary enough to have your child diagnosed with cancer. But on top of that you hear all these new words and terms, which can be overwhelming, such as lumbar puncture or spinal tap. A lumbar procedure is the same thing as a spinal tap. It is a commonly performed procedure to diagnose and manage a variety of diseases including cancer. It is an invasive procedure used to collect the cerebral fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. A lumbar puncture/spinal tap may also be done to measure the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid or to inject medicine, including chemotherapy, directly into the spinal cord and central nervous system. To prepare your child for a lumbar puncture/spinal tap, tell your child what to expect in the hospital and during the procedure. Ask your child’s healthcare team if you can stay with your child during the procedure, and if it’s OK to bring a...

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What is Chemotherapy?

What is Chemotherapy?

by | Feb 8, 2023

You just found out that your child has cancer. And that chemotherapy is part of the treatment plan. Most everyone has heard of chemotherapy. But what is it really? Chemotherapy is any drug used to stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is designed to either kill cells or stop them from dividing. Is there just one chemotherapy?  There are many different types of chemotherapy because different chemotherapies treat different types of cancer. Sometimes your child may receive several different types of chemotherapies. How is chemotherapy given to my child?  Chemotherapy may be given by mouth, injection, or by infusion—either an IV or through your child’s port. Or a combination of those. Sometimes it is given topical (on the skin). It depends on the type and stage of the cancer that is being treated. Where and how often is chemotherapy given? Chemotherapy may be given during a...

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What is Radiation?

What is Radiation?

by | Feb 8, 2023

Radiation therapy is targeted energy used to destroy cancer cells, shrink tumors and/or alleviate certain cancer-related symptoms. Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays and other forms of radiation therapy to damage the DNA in cancer cells, killing them or depriving them of their ability to grow or divide.  Radiation can be used in several ways: Primary treatment to destroy cancer cells In combination with other treatments to stop the growth of cancer cells Before another treatment to shrink a tumor After another treatment to stop the growth of any remaining cancer cells To relieve symptoms of advanced cancer Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells immediately. It works for several days and weeks, and during the course of treatment, hopefully damaging the DNA in cancer cells so that they die or are no longer able to reproduce. Radiation therapy is one of the most common cancer...

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What is an MRI?

What is an MRI?

by | Jan 30, 2023

MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Having an MRI does not hurt, and it is safe – no radioactivity is present. It may take up to one hour, or, if your child needs an anesthetic, most of the day. An MRI scan provides diagnostic information not available when using plain X-rays, ultrasounds, or CT scans. Using a large magnet, radio waves and a computer, an MRI scanner creates very clear and detailed images of organs and tissues in the body. During the MRI, your child will need to lie very still on a bed that moves slowly into the center of the MRI scanner, which looks like a large round tunnel. Your child should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes without zippers, metal snaps or belt buckles, and cannot wear any metal such as retainers, earrings or hairclips. Think super comfy, like sweatpants and a T-shirt. The MRI scan can be very noisy, with loud knocking sounds, so your...

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What is a CT Scan?

What is a CT Scan?

by | Jan 30, 2023

A CT (or CAT) scan is a diagnostic medical imaging procedure that creates three-dimensional images of internal organs, soft tissues, blood vessels and bones. CT stands for Computed Tomography. It provides a more detailed image than a traditional X-ray. Most CT scans take a few seconds, while some may take more than 10 minutes. The CT scanner looks like a giant donut with a sliding bed inside, and your child needs to lie very still during the procedure. It’s important to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes without zippers, metal snaps and belt buckles, and no other metal can be worn, such as retainers, earrings and hairclips. Think comfy clothes like sweatpants and a T-shirt. Having a CT scan does not hurt. CT machines emit low-dose radiation that passes through the body and gets picked up by electronic detectors located on the opposite side of the frame to create detailed images....

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What Is

What Is a Bone Marrow Transplant?

What Is a Bone Marrow Transplant?

by | Mar 7, 2023

You just learned that your child has to have a bone marrow transplant. It sounds ominous. You have a lot of questions. Like, what exactly is bone marrow and what is a bone marrow transplant? Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. It creates red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. In addition, bone marrow contains immature blood-forming cells known as hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs. These stem cells are unspecialized, and they can either remain stem cells or mature...

read more
What Is a Lumbar Puncture? What is a Spinal Tap?

What Is a Lumbar Puncture? What is a Spinal Tap?

by | Feb 27, 2023

It’s scary enough to have your child diagnosed with cancer. But on top of that you hear all these new words and terms, which can be overwhelming, such as lumbar puncture or spinal tap. A lumbar procedure is the same thing as a spinal tap. It is a commonly performed procedure to diagnose and manage a variety of diseases including cancer. It is an invasive procedure used to collect the cerebral fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. A lumbar puncture/spinal tap may also be done to...

read more
What is Chemotherapy?

What is Chemotherapy?

by | Feb 8, 2023

You just found out that your child has cancer. And that chemotherapy is part of the treatment plan. Most everyone has heard of chemotherapy. But what is it really? Chemotherapy is any drug used to stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is designed to either kill cells or stop them from dividing. Is there just one chemotherapy?  There are many different types of chemotherapy because different chemotherapies treat different types of cancer. Sometimes your child may receive several...

read more
What is Radiation?

What is Radiation?

by | Feb 8, 2023

Radiation therapy is targeted energy used to destroy cancer cells, shrink tumors and/or alleviate certain cancer-related symptoms. Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays and other forms of radiation therapy to damage the DNA in cancer cells, killing them or depriving them of their ability to grow or divide.  Radiation can be used in several ways: Primary treatment to destroy cancer cells In combination with other treatments to stop the growth of cancer cells Before another treatment to...

read more
What is an MRI?

What is an MRI?

by | Jan 30, 2023

MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Having an MRI does not hurt, and it is safe – no radioactivity is present. It may take up to one hour, or, if your child needs an anesthetic, most of the day. An MRI scan provides diagnostic information not available when using plain X-rays, ultrasounds, or CT scans. Using a large magnet, radio waves and a computer, an MRI scanner creates very clear and detailed images of organs and tissues in the body. During the MRI, your child will need to lie very...

read more
What is a CT Scan?

What is a CT Scan?

by | Jan 30, 2023

A CT (or CAT) scan is a diagnostic medical imaging procedure that creates three-dimensional images of internal organs, soft tissues, blood vessels and bones. CT stands for Computed Tomography. It provides a more detailed image than a traditional X-ray. Most CT scans take a few seconds, while some may take more than 10 minutes. The CT scanner looks like a giant donut with a sliding bed inside, and your child needs to lie very still during the procedure. It’s important to wear comfortable,...

read more

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