Childhood cancer is curable, In developed countries, the cure rate is approximately 90%. In India, it is almost 50 percent by Dr. Sainath Bhethanabhotla

Every year, more than 3 lakh children are diagnosed with cancer around the world.
Every year in India, almost 50,000 new cases of paediatric cancer are diagnosed.

A cancer diagnosis is unpleasant at any age, but especially for children. Dr Sainath Bhethanabhotla, Senior Consultant and Head Department of Medical Oncology, Star Hospitals says, childhood cancers are rare; however, they can be treated and often cured.

According to the Indian Cancer Society, Cancer affects people of all ages, including children. However, cancer in children is uncommon and treatable if diagnosed early and treated correctly.  Every year, more than 3 lakh children are diagnosed with cancer around the world. Every year in India, almost 50,000 new cases of paediatric cancer are diagnosed.

“This accounts for 3 percent of all cancers in India and 20 percent of all childhood cancers in the world. An estimated 50 to 60 percent of them succumb to the disease in comparison to 10 percent in developed countries,” says Dr Sainath.

Types of cancers

The most common cancers in children are blood cancers (acute leukaemias being the most common), followed by brain tumours, bone tumours, soft tissue sarcomas, liver tumours, and renal tumours. They are biologically different from the cancers that occur in adults. Hence, they behave differently, and the outcome also varies.

Symptoms

Many cancers in children are discovered early, either by the child’s doctor or by parents or family members. However, tumours in children might be difficult to detect at first since the symptoms are sometimes similar to those of far more common illnesses or traumas. Children frequently feel sick or have bumps and bruises, which might hide the early signs of cancer. Childhood cancer is not frequent, but it’s crucial to have your child tested by a doctor if they have strange signs or symptoms that do not go away, such as:

- Malaise
- Fever
- Swellings in the neck
- Headache
- Persistent uncontrolled vomiting
- Seizures
- Persistent non resolving earache
- Any Soft tissue mass in the body
- Persistent bone pain

Survival rate

“Most children with cancer have great outcomes. In developed countries, the cure rate is approximately 90%. In our country, it is almost 50 percent. The reason for this variation is late stage of presentation, treatment abandonment, social stigma, financial limits for treatment completion,” says Dr Sainath.

Diagnosis

Any cancer diagnosis requires tissue characterization. It could be a biopsy for solid tumours or flow cytometry for blood cancers. Solid tumours are also staged using CT scans or PET scans before deciding on the best treatment regimen. In some tumours, molecular studies on biopsy specimens or blood help to determine the appropriate amount of treatment for the child in order to improve treatment efficacy while reducing long-term negative effects.

Vaccination

Apart from normal vaccination, the HPV vaccine is recommended for girls aged 9 to 26 for the prevention of cervical cancer in adulthood. Currently, there is no specialized preventive cancer vaccination for children with malignancies.

Treatment

Chemotherapy is used to treat blood cancers, and the response and cure rates are outstanding. Solid tumours, depending on their form and stage, require either multimodality or single modality treatment. These treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

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