CAR-T 19: the innovative treatment
for children with leukemia
Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and adolescents, accounting for nearly 1 in 3 cancer diagnoses in the age group. Here’s a look at how the CAR-T 19 treatment is revolutionizing the fight against leukemia.
What is leukemia?
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that originates in the bone marrow. The disorder causes uncontrollable growth of abnormal white blood cells, affecting the production of:
Red blood cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues.
Platelets involved in the initial phase of coagulation.
Healthy white blood cells essential for fighting infections.
Symptoms include:
- Tiredness, often due to anemia, which causes a decrease in red blood cells
- Frequent or difficult-to-eradicate infections caused by a lack of normal white blood cells that fight infection
- Petechiae (red spots on the skin), spontaneous bleeding from the nose or gums, and/or bruising. These are caused by low platelets
- Fever or night sweats
- Loss of appetite and weight
Although these symptoms are not exclusive to leukemia and could be caused by more common diseases, should you observe any of these symptoms in your child, consult their treating physician immediately for evaluation.
How is leukemia diagnosed and treated?
- Blood tests
- Bone marrow tests
- Genetic tests
The most common treatments for this disease include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.
What is CAR-T 19 treatment?
CAR-T 19 (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell) immunotherapy is a personalized treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common type in children.
This non-drug treatment is especially indicated for cases where the patient has received other treatments, but the results have not been as successful as expected.
CAR-T 19 immunotherapy is based on extracting lymphocytes from the patient’s immune system cells. These lymphocytes are modified so that they can recognize and attack tumor cells. They are then transferred back into the patient’s body through an intravenous infusion to attack the cancer cells.
- Cell therapy: uses cells from the patient – and not drugs
- Immunotherapy: uses cells from the patient’s immune system to fight their own disease
- Gene therapy: lymphocytes are genetically modified to fight the disease
In some cases, patients may suffer adverse effects, however more than 80% of children and adolescents who receive this treatment enter remission within a few months, and their cancer symptoms diminish or disappear.
How can I access this treatment?
- Access to state-of-the-art treatments at home and abroad
- Second medical opinion from international experts
- Medical coordination for all your appointments and procedures
To find out how to access this treatment and make the most of the comprehensive benefits of your VUMI® plan, consult your insurance agent or visit the MyVUMI app
This information is for guidance only, it does not replace the information provided by your doctor.
Sources:
- https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/childhoodleukemia.html
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/es/sintomas-de-leucemia-en-ninos#sintomas-comunes
- https://www.cancer.org/es/cancer/tipos/leucemia-en-ninos/acerca/estadisticas-clave.html#:~:text=La%20leucemia%20es%20el%20c%C3%A1ncer,leucemia%20linfoc%C3%ADtica%20aguda%20(ALL).
- https://www.sjdhospitalbarcelona.org/es/patologias-tratamientos/inmunoterapia-cart-19
- NIH: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer
