Advances in Chemotherapy in Pediatrics Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (Pall): Actions, Associated Risks and Emerging Therapies.
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Pediatric Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (PALL) represents the most frequent type of cancer in children, affecting about 25% of all childhood cancers. The main treatment for PALL is chemotherapy, which leads to survival rates of 85-90% in high-income countries. Usually, chemotherapy is administered in combination with several drugs given in phases, such as induction, consolidation, intensification, and maintenance. Despite showing great success in overall survivability in most cases, these treatments are linked to serious acute and long-term side effects, such as low blood counts, mental health issues, dysfunction of multiple organs, and an increased risk of developing other types of cancer. In addition, the development of resistance to several drugs, usually due to more drug excretion, different drug target sites, or lowered apoptosis, still makes it hard for some patients to maintain long-term results. Consequently, new methods of therapy are under exploration with targeted therapies like tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies (e.g., blinatumomab), and CAR T-cell therapy that promise to treat cancer without major side effects to normal cells. Many people are also turning to phytomedicines as an additional supplement alongside chemotherapy. The herbal ingredients curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-apoptotic activities, which may enhance the success of therapy without causing significant side effects. Even so, these therapies need to be thoroughly examined for safety, success, and their effects in children before being approved. In conclusion, while chemotherapy still forms the core of PALL therapy, realizing its side effect problems, suggests that we should look for better solutions using new targeted approaches, supportive herbal medicines, and individualized care plans that may greatly alleviate pediatric leukemia and improve overall health parameters of children with leukemia.