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Cancer in childhood is uncommon. Out of 10,000 normal children, one will develop cancer during their childhood. The initial diagnosis can be frightening and stressful for child and his/her parents. These emotions are not out of place and quite understandable but they are also compounded by lack of information as well as some misconceptions. In most cases, there is no specific reason or cause for the child to have developed cancer as it is no one’s fault, so parents should not feel ashamed or guilty. The good news is that all childhood cancers are treatable and most are curable.
The cancers can affect any part of the body- the most common affected are bones, blood, and muscles. The familiar cancers include: blood cancers (leukemia), cancers of the lymphatic system, (lymphomas), cancer of the brain and spinal cord, muscle and bone cancers (sarcomas) and other cancers seen in the very young children (embryonal cancers). As of today, more than 80% of children with cancer get cured, depending upon the type of cancer they are suffering from. Like for some cancers acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Wilms tumour, there is 90% cure rate, while that for Hodgkin disease and germ cell tumours, it is almost 95%.
Children are not adults; their needs are different and need to be treated by someone who is trained to look after them. Paediatric oncologists are responsible for treating all malignant conditions among children like leukemia, bone cancers, Wilms tumor, brain and spinal cord tumors among several others. With timely, appropriate and complete treatment, majority of children with cancer get cured and can lead their lives peacefully.
Information and support are important to feel sure about the childhood cancer treatments. The more you know about cancer, the less confused or unprepared you will feel. Regular parent support group meetings should be attended, which will be an opportunity for parents of children with cancer to meet other parents whose children are either being treated or have completed treatment.
The cancers in children are hard to recognize as the symptoms are common/similar to childhood illnesses or injures. However, if the below-mentioned pediatric cancer symptoms persist, it requires immediate intervention:
Paediatric oncologists diagnose a child’s cancer by doing tests to identify the specific type of cancer. This is called as “Confirmatory Testing”. Thereafter, a series of tests are done to determine the burden of cancer and where is it located. This is called as “Staging”. For this, several investigations are done like:
To Stage “Solid tumors”, the doctor examines the size of tumor and affected lymph nodes as well as where it has spread.
To Stage “Lymphoma”, the doctor examines the lymph nodes, bone marrow, liver, spleen, lung and the rest of the body. Also, few special tests like genetic testing of tumors are also done to assess the capability of cancer.
It is most important to get the correct diagnosis so that right treatment can be given to the child. Though not all tests are done on children and what is conducted depends on the type of cancer suspected. For most of these tests, the child is sedated so that he/she may not move or feel any pain. The results may take 3-5 days to come back so this is explained to the parents.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the oncologists provide detailed counseling to parents. Treatments are available for all childhood cancers, and most children can be cured. The team should ensures that all children are comfortable and free of pain as the treatment of childhood cancer is long and tough. The main types of pediatric cancer treatment options available are:
The chemotherapy drugs travel through the bloodstream. As the drugs are carried in the blood, they destroy cancer cells in the body. Therefore, chemotherapy is useful for treating cancers that are generalized, e.g. blood cancers or those cancers that have spread to other parts of the body. Though the chemotherapy drugs destroy the cancer cells completely but they also affect the healthy cells. As a result, chemotherapy is given as a series of treatments in cycles/phases to allow the healthy cells to recover. The chemotherapy drugs can cause side effects as all children may react to it differently.
As the treatment is quite strong, there may be some side effects. It is important to remember that your child may have only some of these side effects. The oncologists can help the child through some of these treatments and counsel parents that these are a part of treatment, which is ultimately going to cure the child. Below are few side effects:
Chemotherapy can temporarily affect a child's growth and development, but most children are able to catch up on their growth after completing the treatment.
When carefully planned and administered by experienced healthcare professionals, radiation therapy can be safe for children.
Leukaemia (blood cancer) is the most common type of cancer in children. Other common cancers include Brain tumours, neuroblastoma, lymphoma, Wilms tumour, malignant bone tumour, retinoblastoma and germ cell tumours.
Chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cancer cells. As a side effect, it also affects other rapidly dividing cells of the body. Thus, common side effects include hair fall and nail and skin discolouration, which are all temporary and recover completely once treatment is over.
During chemotherapy, the rapidly dividing blood cells are also affected because of which immunity goes very low, and the child is prone to get any kind of infection ranging from a simple viral to a serious bacterial or fungal or rarer infection. Children may need repeated blood and platelet transfusions. There could be an effect on other organs like the liver, kidney and heart, which are monitored closely by the doctor. During chemotherapy, there could be nausea and vomiting, which are easily managed by medications.
But, not all children on chemotherapy will have similar complications. These depend upon the type of cancer, treatment being given, and other factors. All these side effects are usually temporary and settle down once the treatment is over. Your Pediatric Oncology team would guide you more based on the specific diagnosis of the child.
Most childhood cancers are curable. But there is a slight risk of cancer coming back after treatment is completed, which is known as relapse.
Most cancers in children will get cured if cancer is diagnosed early and treated appropriately by an expert healthcare team with expertise in treating cancers in children.
These children will go on to complete their school, college and have family and professional life like other children.
FAQs Reviewed by Dr. Prachi Jain (Pediatric Oncology), Consultant - Medical Oncology (Hemato - Oncology, Paediatrics), Cancer Care / Oncology, Hematology Oncology, Paediatric (Ped) Oncology, Paediatric (Ped) Hematology, Medical Oncology, Musculoskeletal Oncology, Neuro Oncology on 26-Jun-2023.
Max Healthcare is home to 4800+ eminent doctors in the world, most of whom are pioneers in their respective fields. Additionally, they are renowned for developing innovative and revolutionary clinical procedures.
Max Healthcare is home to 4800+ eminent doctors in the world, most of whom are pioneers in their respective fields. Additionally, they are renowned for developing innovative and revolutionary clinical procedures.
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