Childhood Leukemia A Guide for Families, Friends & Caregivers

Approximately 3,300 children are diagnosed with leukemia in the United States each year. The illness and its treatment can have a devastating effect on family, friends, schoolmates, and the larger community. This newly updated edition of Childhood Leukemia contains the information and support parents need during this difficult time. Author Nancy Keene provides parents and family members with: • Updates on treatment, including stem cell transplants, information about tailoring drugs dosages to children’s genetic profiles, and new methods for dealing with side effects. • Practical advice on how to cope with medical procedures, hospitalization, school, family, and financial issues. • Suggestion son ways to form a partnership with the medical team. • Stories from family members who have coped with leukemia and its treatments. • Updated resources for medical information, emotional support, and financial assistance. • A pull out medical record-keeper. Parents who read this book will find understandable medical infomation, obtain advice that eases their daily life, and feel empowered to be strong advocates for their child.

Nancy Keene, a well-known writer and advocate for children with cancer, is the parent of a 22-year survivor of high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She is one of the founders of the nonprofit Childhood Cancer Guides, and she has written many books for families of children with cancer, including Childhood Cancer Survivors; Your Child in the Hospital; and Chemo, Craziness, and Comfort. She co-authored Childhood Cancer: A Parent's Guide to Solid Tumor Cancers and edited Educating the Child with Cancer. She served as chair of the Patient Advocacy Committees of both the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) and Children's Oncology Group (COG)-- consortiums of researchers from more than 300 institutions that treat children with cancer. Ms. Keene has been interviewed on National Public Radio about childhood cancer survivorship, frequently speaks to professional and parent groups, and has participated in online pediatric cancer support groups (www.acor.org) since they began in 1996.