International Childhood Cancer Day 15th February 2019

A heavyweight in the category of dangerous diseases, cancer ranks high on the list. In India, every year there are 45,000 new cases of cancer patients who are under 18. As per the data, five percent of patients suffering from different types of cancer are below the age of 18 years. Boys are more affected than girls, with the ratio of 1.2:1.

Cancers in children are different from adult cancers. There are different kinds of cancer, of which blood cancer is considered to be a potent type, as it spreads rapidly in children. Other common childhood cancers are brain tumours, lymphomas, neuroblastoma, wilms tumour, and bone tumours.  Nearly 30 % of children with blood cancers require bone marrow transplant.  The cure rate of cancers with bone marrow transplant is 50 %.

Although a small number of cases of childhood cancer are due to genetic abnormalities, the causes of most childhood cancers are unknown. Increase in childhood cancer, under the age of 15 years, is due to overcrowding, pollution and undernutrition, which may decrease the immune mechanism. Most Paediatric cancers are considered to be potentially curable.

The symptoms of Leukemia are fever, pallor, bleeding, bone and joint pains, Lymphadenopathy, Hepatosplenomegaly. The solid tumours, like brain tumours, come with headache, vomiting and convulsions.

Coming to treatments, Chemotherapy is the main modality for Leukemia, whereas solid tumours require Surgery, Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy. Common side effects of Chemotherapy are nausea, vomiting, alopecia, mucositis and myelosupression. These side effects are temporary and reversible.

Post therapy, a child can go back to leading a normal life, attend school, and receive remaining vaccination after 6-12 months of completion of therapy. More children survive cancer than before, because of new and better treatments which are available, provided the cancers are diagnosed early and the treatment started early as well.