Treat Abroad

Childhood cancers usually include cancers under the age of 15, between the ages of 0 and 14. Childhood cancers are markedly distinguished by their various characteristics from those of adults. Cancer in children is less common than in adults. Childhood cancers account for 1% of all cancers. Childhood Cancers are now cured with early diagnosis and appropriate treatments. 

The most common type of cancer in children is Acute Leukaemia. In second place are brain tumours and then Malign Lymphomas.

The risk of cancer in children is predominantly determined by genetic factors. However, environmental factors also have an impact. Exposure to radiation, pesticide-type chemicals while in the womb, and the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy increase the risk of cancer.

The following symptoms appear in childhood cancers.

• Paleness in the skin,
• Weakness, loss of appetite
• Recurrent fever
• Weight loss
• Progressive swelling in the neck (usually painless and unresponsive to antibiotics)
• Mass on the abdomen or chest
• Pain in the bones
• Bleeding (Other organ haemorrhages in the skin)
• Swelling and other changes in the eyes
• Headaches, morning vomiting
• Claudication

The most common types of cancer in children are:

• Acute Leukaemia (Blood cancers)
• Brain Tumours
• Malign Lymphomas (Lymph nourishing cancer)
• Neuroblastoma: It is a type of cancer that occurs in nerve cells.
• Wilm's Tumour: It is a type of kidney cancer seen in young children.
• Bone Tumours (Osteosarcoma and Ewing's Sarcoma)
• Soft Tissue Cancers (Rhabdomyosarcoma, etc.)
• Retinoblastoma: It is a type of cancer seen in the mesh layer of the eye in children.
• Germ Cell and Gonadal Tumours
• Hepatoblastoma: It is a rare liver tumour seen in children.
• Thyroid Cancer
• Malign Melanoma (Skin cancer)

There is a multifaceted treatment for childhood cancers; however, medication therapy, i.e., chemotherapy, has an important place in the treatment. The rapid proliferation of cells in childhood cancers also makes them susceptible to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be used as an auxiliary treatment for surgery, or it is used before surgery to shrink the tumour and prevent possible metastases. Radiotherapy is not used alone in childhood cancers except in emergencies. It can usually be added to chemotherapy in some sensitive tumours.

Bone Marrow Transplantation (KIT) is a method especially used in leukaemia and is based on the principle of giving normal stem cells to the patient.