[Modern approach to diagnosis and therapy in childhood leukemias]

Leukemias are the most common malignancies in children. More than 80% leukemias in childhood are acute (non mature) lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL), and the rest are acute myeloid leukemias (AML). Chronic leukemias are very rare, and they are almost always chronic myclogeneous leukemia (CML). Owning to good diagnostic procedures and using very aggressive treatment protocols, usually life threatening, thereis significant progress in curing of this severe disease. Today, about 70% children suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia and about 55% children with acute mycloid leukemia could be cured. In this paper we present diagnostic procedures, classification and treatment protocols for leukemias in childhood.