Childhood Cancer Occurrence, Symptoms and Treatment - MGCHRI

The incidence of cancer in children and adolescents had been increasing over the past decade. Pediatric tumors constitute 6-8% of all cancers in India.

The rate of survivals in well-developed countries is 80-90% compared to developing countries which is only 20-30%. Lack of access to health care, delay in diagnosis, stigma of cancer and financial constraints have been the main reasons for low cure rates in our country.

Unlike many cancers in adults, Childhood Cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors and only a small number are caused by DNA (gene) changes that are passed from parents to their child. This is the reason why screening or preventive strategies in childhood cancers are not described.

The types of cancers that occur most often in children are different from those seen in adults.

Childhood Cancer OccurrenceThe most common cancers of children are:

Leukemia (Blood cancer)
Brain and spinal cord tumors
Neuroblastoma
Wilms tumor
Lymphomas
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Retinoblastoma
Bone cancer
Signs and symptoms of cancer in children:

An unusual lump or swelling anywhere in the body
Unexplained paleness and easy fatigability
Easy bruising or bleeding
Bone pains/ Limping
Unexplained fever or illness that doesn’t go away
Frequent headaches, often with vomiting
Sudden eye or vision changes
Sudden unexplained weight loss
Other symptoms are also possible, depending on the type of cancer.
Childhood Cancer OccurrenceMost of these symptoms are much more likely to be caused by infections, trauma or other diseases. Still, if your child has any of these symptoms, consult your doctor so the cause can be found and treated, if needed. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to cure in childhood cancers.

Treatment for childhood cancer is based mainly on the type and stage of the cancer.

The main types of treatment used for childhood cancer are:

Surgery
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
High-dose chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, are being increasingly used in treating some types of childhood cancer.