Healthy child is a blessing to his home as well as society. Playful and cheerful children with normal physical and mental development is a dream of all parents. However, diagnosis of life threatening childhood illness such as cancer can be of significant distress for in parents, and other family members. Unfortunately, in developing countries childhood cancer is an ever-growing epidemic and needs immediate action to prevent this scary illness. Therefore, the month of September is devoted to highlight the importance of early diagnosis of this chronic illness among children around the world, and its impact on the affected children and their family. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is not just for those children who are fighting this horrible disease, but also for those who have lost that fight and their families.
Symbol of childhood cancer: Golden colour ribbon is the international symbol for childhood cancer awareness. The symbol expresses support and solidarity for the fight against childhood cancer. The colour gold tells the world that children are precious and every child should get proper treatment facilities.
Good to know: Having a child diagnosed with cancer is not less than a nightmare for parents. Any type of cancers affects everyday life of a child and his family as well. It affects child's normal activities, and requires lots of hospitalizations and/or home health care and/or extensive medical care. Under such circumstances, parents and all family members need to get informed of the best possible treatment and care. Here is some useful general information of childhood cancer. There are three common types of childhood cancers. 1- Blood cancers- 2- solid cancers and 3- kidney cancer.
Blood cancers:
-- Leukemias cancer of the tissues of the body that make the blood cells and the bone marrow. The patient's body makes a large quantity of abnormal white cells unable to perform their proper functions. They attack the bone marrow and gather around the normal healthy blood cells, making the patient at risk to infection and yellowing.
-- Lymphomas cancer which arises in the lymph system, the body's circulatory network for filtering out impurities. It can arise in the tonsils, thymus, bone, small intestine, spleen, or in lymph glands anywhere in the body. The disease can spread to the central nervous system and the bone marrow.
Solid tumors
-- Brain Tumors- It is the most common tumors in children. Some tumors are harmless, and some children can be cured by surgery. Twenty percent of all primary brain tumors arise in children younger than age 15, are hard to diagnose.
-- Bone cancers the most common Bone cancer in children occurs most often during adolescence, 85% of them have tumors on their legs or arms, half of them around the knee.
-- Neuroblastoma found only in children, neuroblastoma arises in the adrenal glands, located in the abdominal area. It attacks very young children. One-fourth of those affected show initial symptoms during the first year of life. Neuroblastoma spreads quickly, and often is discovered only after the disease is widespread. Early stages are curable by surgery.
Wilms Tumor The cancerous tumor develops on the kidney. About 6-7% of childhood, cancer cases are wilms tumor. It occurs in about 8 in 1 million children under age 14; it is more common in children under age 7. Early diagnose of the tumor can reduce the chances of mortality. Treatment for wilms includes surgery, chemotherapy, and possibly radiation, depending on how far the cancer has spread. The 5-year survival rate for children treated for wilms tumor is approximately 90%.
Symptoms of childhood cancer
-- 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 colour behind the pupil, squint or redness in the eye, shrunken or swollen eye.
-- 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.
Basic facts:
- Childhood cancer is curable if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.
- It is not infectious and does not spread from one child to the other.
- It is not usually inherited through the genes.
- Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential for good cure rate.
- Cancer in children is quite different from that in adults in many ways. Firstly only 3% of all cancers occur in children, secondly they are fast growing but also very sensitive to chemotherapy treatment. Cure is a very realistic and practically achievable goal.
- As the treatment is, often long it is very important that extra care be taken at home to ensure treatment discipline and regularity, good hygiene and balanced nutrition.
- The treatment for cancer is somewhat complicated therefore, it is, advisable to take treatment in an experienced and specialized pediatric cancer unit.
Childhood cancer in Pakistan:
Leukemia (Blood Cancer) 35% and Lymphoma (Cancer of Lymph glands) 20% are two most common cancers in Pakistan. Other common cancer are Retinoblastoma (Eye Cancer), Wilma's Tumor (Cancer of Kidney), Neutoblastoma, Brain Tumor, Cancer of Bone, Muscles, Soft Tissue and Liver etc. According to the Karachi Cancer Registry, childhood cancer incidence is nine per 100,000. Experts say 6,000 children get afflicted with cancer each year in Pakistan.
According to cancer foundation trust Pakistan major issues of childhood cancers in Pakistan:
-- 60pc children do not get proper diagnosis and treatment.
-- Late diagnosis and advanced staged disease.
-- Insufficient specialized units.
-- Shortage of trained human resources.
-- Inability to afford treatment.
-- Lack of awareness and nihilistic approach to cancer.
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