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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 blood, brain, bones 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, it is almost 95% provided the disease is detected early and treated appropriately.
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, neuroblastoma, 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 treatment. 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 symptoms persist, it requires immediate intervention:
Paediatric oncologists diagnose a child's cancer by doing a complete physical examination and certain tests to identify the specific type of cancer. This is called as "Confirmatory Testing" which may include bone marrow examination, biopsy etc depending upon the cancer suspected. Thereafter, a series of tests are done to determine the burden of cancer. This is called as "Staging". For this, several investigations are done like:
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 every child and what is performed 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. For sedation child need to be brought empty stomach or fasting for 4 to 6 hours and the sedation is usually given by the PICU team under full precautions. The results may take 3-5 days to come back so this is explained to the parents. The treatment is started after complete evaluation and discussion with parents in details regarding the further plan to treatment, prognosis and possible complications.
Central Tumour Board - Friday 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Central Tumour Board - Friday 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Central Tumor Board - Monday & Thursday 8:30am-9:30am
Max Healthcare is home to 2500+ 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 2500+ 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.
Find a Doctor