Childhood Cancer

What is Childhood Cancer?

First let us understand: What is cancer? Cancer occurs when body cells grow in abnormal and uncontrolled manner, disrupting normal bodily functions. These cells often travel to other parts of the body, growing and replacing normal tissue.

Childhood cancers – Unfortunately, the fast –growing tissues of children allow cancers to grow more rapidly. Children are also more susceptible to certain cancers like leukaemia, brain tumours and lymphoma. Currently, the causes of most childhood cancers remain largely unknown.

Common types of childhood cancers

There are more than 100 different types of childhood cancers that can happen in different parts of the body. The most common type in the world is Leukaemia.

• Leukaemia – Cancer of the blood; where white blood cells grow abnormally and invade other tissues and organs via the bloodstream. These white blood cells crowd out and slow the production of healthy blood cells.
  Symptoms: Pallor, lethargy, prolonged fevers, easy bruising, restless behavior, poor concentration, weight loss, bone aches/pains
• Brain Tumours – The most common solid tumours in children. Formed when cells in the brain or nervous system start growing abnormally and clump together to form a tumour, which then disrupts the normal brain functions.
  Symptoms: Headache, poor appetite, weight loss, vomiting, visual disturbances, sudden change in handwriting, sudden loss of bladder and bowel control, fits or seizures
• Lymphoma – Cancer of the lymph glands. Two main varieties of Lymphoma: Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s, the latter being more common in children.
  Symptoms: Abdominal mass leading to nausea, vomiting and pain, painless jaw swelling, chest mass causing breathing problems

What kind of treatment are available for childhood cancers?

• Chemotherapy – anti-cancer drugs which destroy cancer cells by entering the bloodstream and stopping cancerous cells from growing and multiplying throughout the body.
• Radiotherapy – the use of radiation, for instance, an extremely high dose of X-ray, to kill cancer cells in a specific place. Radiotherapy also kills healthy cells alongside of cancerous cells. However, this has side effects such as hair loss, changes in appetite, susceptibility to infection, nausea and vomiting
• Bone Marrow Transplant – Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the centre of our bones which produces red and white blood cells and platelets. When this tissue is damaged by cancer and the patient is not responding to conventional forms of treatment, healthy marrow is transplanted into the bones of the patient.

Psychological & Social Impact of Childhood Cancer

• Stress & behavioural changes in children – treatments can impact on the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of children. They may experience mood swings or confusion about their diagnosis and their parents’ reactions. It is important to spend time listening to children and trying to understand their feelings to help them cope.
• Disruption to school or education – Children have to stop school temporarily until their doctor gives the green light. Parents need to consider positive ways to engage and occupy the children. It is useful to inform the school of the children’s conditions, maintain contact periodically and work with the schools to help with their re-integration after treatment.
• Anxiety over long-term effects of illness & treatments – Some treatments may have long-term side effects on the children, and more information can be obtained from the doctors.
• Impact on siblings – Siblings of the sick child may feel neglected as attention s focused on the child with cancer. Involve siblings by explaining to them what is happening and discuss questions and concerns that they may have.
• Coping with marital strain & employment issues – Couples may experience strain and tension due to the stress of taking care of a sick child and having less time together. Stress may also take the form of employers not understanding the situation. It is helpful for couples to communicate their worries and feelings and work out solutions together. Support systems like extended family members can be tapped upon to help care for children so that parents can rest.

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