Q: My six years old son was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) 18 months back. Now half of his treatment has been completed and he is recovering. Will my child be able to lead a normal life? He is in the kindergarten. I have a daughter who is 3.5 years old and am expecting another baby next month. Are my other children at risk of childhood leukaemia?

A:All children with standard risk ALL have a cure rate of 80-90% with standard chemotherapy protocol and majority of them live a normal life. Patients may get delayed complications if they have received prophylactic cranial irradiation (radiation to the brain) as part of some old protocols. These children should be followed up for delayed complications like growth retardation, cataract and behavioural changes. Siblings of ALL patients are not at high risk at all for getting disease, so you should not worry about your other children.