What characterizes the most common cancer in children, ALL?

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is characterized by low levels of hemoglobin and platelets, reflecting the bone marrow's inability to produce sufficient blood cells due to the infiltration by malignant lymphoblasts. This results in symptoms such as anemia (from low hemoglobin), increased susceptibility to infections (from neutropenia), and increased bleeding or bruising (from low platelet counts). The presence of these hematological abnormalities is a key diagnostic feature of ALL and is critical for recognizing and managing the disease in pediatric patients.

In contrast, the peak incidence of ALL actually occurs earlier, typically between ages 2 and 5, rather than 10-12 years. Additionally, ALL is slightly more common in boys than in girls, which does not align with the choice indicating a higher prevalence in females. Finally, chest X-rays are not commonly associated with showing lung lesions in ALL; instead, they may show mediastinal lymphadenopathy or other related complications but not specific lung lesions as suggestive of a different pathology. Therefore, option C is accurate regarding the characteristics of ALL.