How To Treat Common Childhood Cancers With Cord Blood?

Cord blood stem cells offer potential in treating childhood cancers by aiding regeneration, boosting immunity, and supporting recovery during therapies.

Did you know that cancer is the major cause behind the 86% mortality rate in children? Childhood cancer is every parent’s worst nightmare. In fact, according to recent studies, every three minutes, a child is diagnosed with cancer.

So, is there any effective way to protect your child from life-threatening cancers?

Yes, cord blood stem cells have emerged as a promising and sustainable option in childhood cancer treatment.

But how do these precious sources of stem cells increase the survival chances of cancer in children? Scroll down further to find out.

What Are the Most Common Childhood Cancers?

Millions of children and pre-adolescents across the globe develop different types of cancer every year. Let’s discuss the top four most common childhood cancers:

• Leukemia - It is a type of blood cancer that leads to the overproduction of white blood cells.

• Brain and spinal cord tumors - Caused by abnormal cell growth in the central nervous system.

• Neuroblastoma - It develops in the nerve tissues, and 90% of its cases are reported in children under five years.

Importance of Cord Blood in Childhood Cancer Treatment?

While chemotherapy is a popular technique for the treatment of different types of cancers, however, it might be very hard and difficult for children to bear the pain and aftereffects of chemotherapy sessions. Further, it can make the child’s body more vulnerable to infections.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells have shown effectiveness in childhood cancer treatments.

Cord blood stem cells are a rich source of Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which can transform themselves into healthy red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), or platelets. This helps improve the child’s immunity and hasten recovery. Because of this property, they are commonly used in the treatment of leukemia, neuroblastoma, and lymphoma in children.

Benefits of Using Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells for Childhood Cancer Treatment

Cord blood stem cells have specific advantages in cancer treatment in children when compared to bone marrow and peripheral blood sources:

1. Lower graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)

Umbilical cord blood stem cells are immunologically active. Unlike stem cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood, cord blood stem cells are not susceptible to the myriad of infections. As a result, they are less likely to induce GVHD.

1. Higher Chances of Match

Cord blood stem cells don't have to be as closely HLA-matched as other sources of stem cells. Therefore, it will be easy for you to find a suitable match.

1. Better Outcomes

Patients with minimal residual disease (MRD), a conditioning therapy performed before the transplant destroys all the cancer cells, have better outcomes. Such a higher survival rate is reported in individuals who undergo transplants with cord blood stem cells. However, people who choose the MRD with bone marrow or peripheral blood-derived stem cells have a limited lifetime.

1. Prevent Recurrence

Cord blood stem cells can prevent the recurrence of cancer cells after the treatment. The probability of elapse after a cord blood transplant is relatively lower than stem cells derived from bone marrow or peripheral blood.

1. Easily Accessible

Cord blood has rich regenerative properties. Even though it has fewer stem cells available than bone marrow, its cells can multiply more when compared to other sources. Therefore, cord blood stem cells are available more quickly.

Future-Proof Your Family’s Wellbeing with Cryoviva

Apart from childhood cancers, umbilical cord blood is FDA-approved to treat over 80 diseases. Cord blood cells remain viable for at least two decades after collection. It means your child will be protected from a variety of diseases for at least a quarter of a century.

So, now that you know the real potential of cord blood, take advantage of it.

We at Cryoviva are committed to helping every parent by offering cord blood preservation services for their children. Approved by the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB), we promise to safeguard your little one’s future health by securely processing and preserving their cord stem cells for the long term. Contact us today to know more.