Childhood leukemia is a devastating disease that often results in life-threatening situations. You should know that leukemia is not just a word, but also a reality. “More than half of children diagnosed with cancer each year suffer from leukemia” (Ruccione). There are many types of leukemia, but four main types occur in minors. Through this research one will learn about the different aspects of this cancer and knowing this can help in understanding and learning more about leukemia. Childhood leukemia is a blood cancer that begins in the first hematopoietic cells located in the bone marrow. It is also described in two major groups, acute (rapidly growing) or chronic (slow growing), but almost all childhood leukemias are acute (American Cancer Society). White blood cells help fight infections in the immune system, but in leukemia, the bone marrow creates abnormal white blood cells. Bone marrow is the soft material located in the center of bones. These leukemia cells do not follow the normal maturation process. Many people may not know that the deadliest childhood cancer is childhood leukemia. This disease is one in three cancers affecting adolescents worldwide (Key Statistics). ("What causes this cancer to affect children?") Till date, there is no exact cause as to why leukemia acts. its impact on the lives of minors. “Scientists have made great strides in understanding how certain changes in the DNA of normal bone marrow cells can cause them to become leukemia cells (American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts). Although a hereditary disease poses a risk for developing this cancer, in most cases it does not appear to be caused by this. Saying that, there are many risk factors that follow paper eukemia. As noted previously, CLL primarily affects older adults. This disease has approximately 15,720 new cases. “The five-year survival rate for people with CLL is approximately 79% (CLL statistic). An estimated 5,980 cases were diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Ten percent of leukemia cases are involved in CML. It also affects white people more than African Americans. Like most other leukemia subtypes, this type affects boys more than girls (key statistics). Leukemia in children is increasing rapidly and continues to target minors. Not everything has turned out to be a disaster during this illness, as the chances of survival are considerably better. “I started in this field in 1973, and it was between then and the early 1980s that we started to see significant numbers of children surviving this disease” (Ruccione).