Symptoms of childhood cancer depend on where it begins to develop and the degree of organ invasion it affects, one of the symptoms that leads parents to suspect that the child is sick is un apparent weight loss, when the child eats well but continues to lose weight.
Diagnosis is made after a battery of comprehensive tests used to determine the child’s type of tumor, stage, and whether metastasis exists or not, all of this information is important to help determine the most appropriate treatment, which may include surgery., radiation therapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
- Childhood cancer isn’t always curable.
- But when it’s discovered early and there’s no metastasis.
- There’s a high chance of recovery.
- While leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children and adolescents.
- It affects 25 to 30% of cases.
- Lymphoma.
- Kidney cancer.
- Brain tumor.
- Muscle.
- Eye and bone cancer also appear in this age group.
Some of the main characteristics of childhood cancer symptoms are
When parents notice these changes in the child, it is recommended that the child be taken to the doctor so that he or she can order the necessary tests to arrive at the diagnosis so that treatment can begin as quickly as possible., the greater the chances of recovery.
Learn all the symptoms of leukemia, the most common type of cancer in children and adolescents.
A diagnosis of childhood cancer may be made by your pediatrician based on your symptoms and to confirm suspicion, tests such as:
Diagnosis can be made, even before the first symptoms, during a routine consultation, and in these cases, the chances of recovery are greater.
Cancer often develops in children exposed to radiation or medication during pregnancy.Viruses are also related to certain types of childhood cancer, such as Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and isolated Epstein-Barr virus, and some genetic alterations promote certain cancers, however, it is not always possible to know exactly what can lead to cancer development in children.
Children under the age of 5, the most affected by cancer, suffer from leukemia, but childhood cancer also manifests itself in kidney tumors, germ cell tumors, tumors of the sympathetic nervous system, and liver tumors.
Cancer in children and adolescents is curable in most cases, especially when parents can quickly identify symptoms and take them to the pediatrician for evaluation.
Childhood or adolescent tumors, in most cases, tend to grow faster than the same tumor in adults, although they are also more invasive, respond better to treatment, which the sooner it is installed, the greater the chances of recovery compared to adults with cancer.
To treat childhood cancer, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are usually required to remove cancer cells or surgery to remove the tumor, and treatment can be done for free at the nearest childhood cancer hospital.Treatment is always guided by a team of doctors, such as oncologists, pediatricians, nurses, nutritionists and pharmacists who together seek to support the child and family.
Additionally, treatment should include psychological support for the child and the parents to help cope with feelings of injustice, changes in the child’s body, and even fear of death and loss.
Treatment of cancer in children aims to control or stop the growth of cancer cells, preventing them from spreading throughout the body and, therefore, it may be necessary to:
These techniques can be practiced alone or, if necessary, together to be more effective and treat cancer.
Most cases require the child to be admitted to the hospital for a variable period of time, depending on their health status, however, in some cases, the child may receive treatment during the day and return home at the end.
During treatment, it is common for the child to experience nausea and poor digestion, so see how to control vomiting and diarrhea in children being treated for cancer.
Treatment of childhood cancer should include psychological support for the child and the family itself, as they constantly experience feelings of sadness, rebellion and fear of death, as well as having to deal with changes that occur in the body, such as hair loss and swelling.For example.
Therefore, it is important to
To learn how to help your child live with cancer, read: How to help your child cope with cancer.