Every cell in the human body has a system that regulates how it interacts with other cells, how it grows, and how long it lives. In the case of cancer, the cell’s system loses control leading to abnormal cell growth that your body can’t handle. These cells can:
When cancer cells grow it can harm bones and organs, affect the body’s ability to fight diseases, and weaken immunity. Around 800 to 1000 kids in South Africa are diagnosed with cancer every year.
Cancer symptoms will vary based on the type and location of the cancer cells. Some common symptoms of cancer include:
In many cases, health experts don’t know why children get cancer. However, a genetic condition in children, like Down syndrome, can make children more susceptible to developing cancer. Children who undergo radiation treatment or chemotherapy for cancer have an increased risk of developing cancer again. In most cases, children develop cancer due to random mutations of some cells. Since these changes occur randomly, cancer prevention is not feasible.
Several risk factors can make children more susceptible to cancer. These include:
For appropriate diagnosis, an oncologist will run multiple tests including blood tests, biopsy, imaging tests, bone marrow aspirate, and lumbar puncture. These tests allow the oncologist to determine if your child has cancer and if so, establish if it has spread to other parts of the body. Once there is a definitive diagnosis, the test results will also help the doctor categorize and describe the cancer which is called staging. The main stages are:
Cancer and its treatment can cause many complications including fatigue, pain, weight loss, constipation or diarrhoea, nausea, difficulty breathing, brain and nervous system issues, and chemical changes within the body.
The treatment depends on the type of cancer and its stage. Typically, a child will undergo standard therapies like radiotherapy, surgery or chemotherapy. Children also require special attention for their continued cognitive and physical growth, which is the responsibility of the multi-disciplinary team. Generally, children have improved chances of beating cancer than adults. Therefore, starting the treatment as soon as possible is important.
The proven prevention method for cancer is not yet known. However, a few things can reduce the risk of cancer cell growth. This includes keeping children away from second-hand smoke, avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals, and reducing exposure to air pollution.