“Your child has cancer” is not something that any parent wants to hear. Childhood cancer is not a subject that most parents would like to discuss or consider.
Cancer is the second cause of death among young children, but the odds are that your child will never get this awful disease.
Although the chances are in your favor, it is not a bad idea to keep an eye out for any symptoms of cancer that your child may have.
If you see any symptoms that could be cancer then you will need to take your child to a physician and have them tested. Early detection can be the key to survival.
Symptoms of Childhood Cancer
You should be concerned if you see your child experiencing too much weight loss. In addition, if your child wakes up with vomiting and headaches in the morning you may have reason to wonder what could be going on.
Sometimes children get pain in their joints and bones due to just being a child, but if you see a great deal of swelling, or they complain of constant pain in these areas, you will want to get them checked by their physician.
Bruising is something that occurs with activity in childhood and you have no reason to worry when you see only one or two of them. The only time you need to be concerned about bruising is if it is excessive.
Make sure to get your child’s eyes checked if they have vision changes that come on quickly, and if a whitish color has formed behind their pupil because these can be signs of cancer also.
Children and Leukemia
When cancer develops in a child’s bone marrow, they have developed the disease called leukemia cancer. Leukemia cancer accounts for over one third of childhood cancer. Leukemia occurs more often in children who are under 10 years of age.
Red blood cells are there to send oxygen to their body. If your child gets this disease, their normal red and white blood cells disappear by too many abnormal white cells taking over.
Treatment for your child if they have leukemia is usually a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Survival rate is high when looking at a five-year period.
Cancer Tumor in Children
A well-known cancer that shows up in the kidney, as a tumor, is Wilms Tumor. Your child has a very slight chance of getting this type of cancer.
It usually shows up in a child who is under the age of seven. This type of cancer can spread quickly to other parts of your child’s body so getting them tested early is crucial.
Children will need to have surgery to remove the tumor, or if it has spread, they may need cancer chemotherapy or radiation. The good news is that survival rate for a five-year period is almost ninety percent.
There are many forms of childhood cancer. They are too numerous to mention, but with today’s medical advancements, every child has a fighting chance for survival.
