Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer, accounting for 1/3 of diagnosed cancer cases. Side effects of leukemia and its treatment leave children with a very weak immune system. A weak immune system means that children are more likely to get infections and even to get cancer again. Natural Killer (NK) cells are a special type of immune cell that are very effective at fighting cancer cells and protecting us from infections. Unlike other components of the immune system, which may take up to a week to respond to threats, NK cells can kill harmful germs immediately. Interestingly, NK cells very sensitive to exercise. Even one bout of exercise can help increase the amount of NK cells in our blood and improve their function. In healthy children and adults, we know that this increase in NK cells can help find and kill cancer cells and infections. However, we don't know very much about the effects of exercise in children with a weak immune system, such as children with leukemia. Therefore, my study is looking at how safe and effective exercise can be for children with cancer. My study will help us understand how exercise triggers NK cells in children with leukemia as they receive treatment and recover from chemotherapy. The results of this study will help us learn how we can use exercise as a part of standard pediatric cancer treatment.