In the United States, pediatricians diagnose fourteen out of 100,000 children with cancer each year. Though childhood cancer is uncommon, it is important as parents to be aware of the signs of cancer in children. If your child is diagnosed with cancer, it is critical that she is diagnosed quickly.
Leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors are the kind of cancers that are most often diagnosed in children. Sometimes oesteosarcoma, a cancer in the bones, is diagnosed. Other, less common forms of cancer, such as neuroblastoma, wilms tumor, and retinoblastoma, may also be diagnosed.
These cancer types all have symptoms, which are difficult to recognize. For example, if your child is experiencing lethargy, frequent fevers, and joint pain, he or she may have leukemia. However, these symptoms are also attributed to the flu.
Your child’s young immune system is developing. So, pediatricians do not always associate symptoms of common illness to symptoms of childhood cancer. As a parent, follow your instincts. If you feel your child may be experiencing symptoms that are more extreme than the common flu, talk to your pediatrician and begin the necessary tests.
Depending on what kind of cancer your child may have, different tests will be required to pinpoint the cancer. If your pediatrician suspects your child may have leukemia, he will require she take a blood test. If that test comes back positive, it is followed by a bone marrow test to confirm the diagnosis.
Cancer develops in the body like a common disease. Cells begin to grow in one location and then spread throughout the body. Unlike in adults, cancer in children is not attributed to smoking or exposure to harmful toxins. Instead it most often occurs because of genetic mutation in the cells. There are few ways to prevent cancer in children.
However, the survival rate for children with cancer is greater than the survival rate of adults. More research is done on childhood cancer, and up to 77% of children diagnosed with cancer are cured. Also, teenagers treated by child cancer specialists have a higher chance of survival.
Research is still being done to find a cure for childhood cancer. Perhaps one day doctors will know how to prevent cancer in children. However, today, it is important that as parents, you are aware of the signs of childhood cancer so that it can be combated from the beginning.
The acronym “child cancer” created by Patty Feist, a mother of a cancer survivor, may help you remember and become aware of common signs of cancer in children
Continued, unexplained weight loss
Headaches, often with early morning vomiting
Increased swelling or persistent pain in bones, joints, back, or legs
Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis, or armpits
Development of excessive bruising, bleeding, or rash
Constant infections
A whitish color behind the pupil
Nausea which persists or vomiting without nausea
Constant tiredness or noticeable paleness
Eye or vision changes which occur suddenly and persist
Recurrent or persistent fevers of unknown origin
http://www.acor.org/ped-onc/diseases/SOCC.html
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/cancer/cancer.html
http://www.curesearch.org/our_research/index_sub.aspx?id=1488