Cancer in Children Awareness Month

Written by Manila Bulletin

April has been declared Cancer in Children Awareness Month to create public awareness on pediatric cancer.

Cancer is a very rare disease in children. Its cause is unknown so most of the time the cancer is already in its advanced stage by the time it is diagnosed. Childhood cancer affects children from birth to 19 years old.

The various types of pediatric cancer include acute lymphocytic leukemia, bone cancer, brain and spinal cord cancer, Erwing’s sarcoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, neuroblastoma, osteoracoma, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and Wilm’s tumor.

The most common symptoms of pediatric cancer are dizziness; vomiting; unexplained fever or recurring fever; unexplained weight loss; frequent headaches; fatigue; paleness; sudden eye or vision changes; excessive bruising or bleeding; swelling or pain in the joints, bones, pelvis, back or legs; lump in the armpit, leg, chest, stomach or pelvis; and recurring or persistent infections.

In the Philippines, the most common pediatric cancer is acute lymphoblastic leukemia which is generally thought to start in the bone marrow, but leukemic blasts may be systematically present at the time of presentation. They may be present in the bone marrow, thymus, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and testes. The classic symptoms of this illness are fatigue and paleness, fever, and bruising or bleeding.

Other symptoms include weight loss, bone pain, and dyspnea.

Oftentimes, acute lymphoblastic leukemia are cured. Treatment include chemotherapy, other drug theraphy, and radiation. In serious cases, bone marrow and blood stem cell transplant is needed.

The task of fighting cancer is really difficult. It imposes stress on the whole family. The best defense is information. Parents must learn about the disease, its risks, and its treatment. Coping with the illness will be more manageable if the whole family knows what to expect both from the medical and emotional viewpoint.

Cancer has huge implications for the quality of the child’s life. The child’s schooling might get disrupted when hospitalization is needed and it would also mean missing out on the normal growing-up period that most children and teen-agers experience.

To avoid all these problems, it is important that children undergo annual check ups and maintain good health by eating healthy and well-balanced diet and exercise.