Some questions about cancer?!

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1. Some people do experience lasting effects (change in texture, for example.) People who have cranial radiation may never grow hair back in the specific areas the radiation focused on.

2. Yes, hair can come back a different color. It's usually the same or a different shade, but it is possible for it to come back a different color (especially if the colors aren't too far off, like red from strawberry blond, or brown from dirty blond.)

3. With the most common type of leukemia in children (ALL), there is about 6-9 months of intense front line treatment, followed by 2-3 years of maintenance therapy. Every doctor is different, but most recommend that children stay out of school until they hit maintenance. At that point, they are still having blood counts done regularly. Some doctors have certain cutoffs (if ANC is less than 500, no school, for example) and others are not quite so strict and will go by how the child is feeling, what the counts are, and what time of year it is. Our patients are kept out more this time of year, during flu season. If there is chicken pox in the school, our patients are kept out, as well.

There are some doctors that will let kids go back before maintenance, if they are maintaining decent enough counts and feeling okay.

Work in pediatric oncology.

Answer 1) Sometimes, it really depends on how the individuals body reacts to the therapy, chemo can change the hair though, i.e tight curly hair becomes wavy...wavy becomes straight. but if it effects hair quality really depends on the individual.

2) Yes, it is very common for hair to come back darker after chemo. but it can also stay its origional color. but no brown wont turn red blonde turn black ect...

3) When the child is feeling well, its very common that children with leukeamia dont go to school often, and are usually schooled in hospitals, but in the end it generally comes down to when the child is upto it...this is not often when in chemo.

Division 1 nurse

1 and 2) Thats right hair might not grow back exactly that same way as it was before – sometimes it grows back thinner, sometimes thicker, straighter, curlier, darker or lighter for more detailed information on this visit this fact sheet: http://www.nowwhat.org.au/info/factsheet…

3) In terms of your second question, only the childs treating doctors will be able to make a decision on this. Sometimes, schooling is offered in hospitals for certain patients.

http://www.nowwhat.org.au/info/factsheet…

From what I have heard about chemo changing hair qualities the only one I have heard that does do that is a breast cancer treatment--Taxol( Paclitaxel ) and it's derivatives. As far as leukemia and attending school I would think that the oncologist will be taking daily blood counts to keep an eye on how the immune system is working. Of course you won't want to put your child at risk of getting sick above and beyond the leukemia so staying out of school and group activities during the treatments will likely be a very necessary thing. Typically after all of the treatments are through and the leukemia is in remission then the doctor/oncologist will give a clean bill of health and allow a return to school. I would suspect the child will loose about a year of school but there will be plenty of at home learning materials for the child to use to stay up with their grade.

Cancer Survivor--Lymphoma