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Most cases of childhood cancer can be cured if treated on time.
Childhood cancers account for about 3 per cent of all the cancers. Of about three lakh childhood cancer cases in the world, about 50,000 occur in India each year. On the occasion of International Childhood Cancer Day (February 15), Dr. Gauri Kapoor, Medical Director RGCIRC, Niti Bagh, & Director Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center (RGCIRC) has debunked some common myths related to childhood cancer.
Myth: Adult and childhood cancers are the same
Fact: Adult and childhood cancers are different. They're different in terms of the type of cancer that occurs, the nature of the disease and the response to treatment and cure rates. In children we have leukemia, brain and spinal cord tumours, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumour, lymphoma and retinoblastoma. Childhood cancers are fast growing, but they also respond very well to chemotherapy if these are diagnosed in a timely fashion and treated by the right team. They have good cure rates.
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Myth: Blood cancer in children is not curable
Fact: Blood cancer in children is very different from that in the adults. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common blood cancer in children and with modern treatments, ALL is curable in over 80 per cent of the children. Treatment in specialized pediatric cancer facilities ensures successful outcome.
Symptoms of childhood cancer include prolonged, unexplained fever; unexplained paleness and weakness; easy bruising or bleeding; an unusual lump or swelling or pain in one area of the body; frequent headaches often with vomiting and sudden changes in the eye or vision. According to Dr. Kapoor, these symptoms can mimic other common pediatric illnesses.
A lot of immunotherapies are being tried out in these children so that the toxicity of the treatment is minimized, and the late effects could be reduced. And these are actually important for children because they get treatment during the growing age when their organ functions have not matured yet and they have still long lives to live, said Dr. Kapoor.
The treatment for childhood cancer is prolonged and fairly intensive. It involves coming to the hospital frequently, may require hospitalization, frequent injections and all this can cause a certain amount of stress not only to the child but also to the family.
Dr. Gauri said this needs to be addressed on several fronts. Firstly, there is need to create right ambience in the dedicated area for children in the hospitals so that the children are distracted from their ailment and stay in a happy frame of mind. Secondly, one can ensure that all procedures may be carried out in painless way as far as possible, be it giving injections or blood tests. Third, availability of counsellors just for the children. They need to interact with the children and try to address whatever fears or anxieties the children have. The counsellors also need to counsel the parents or the caregivers. That is very important because when parents or care givers are relaxed, children are also relaxed.
"We believe in the concept of a truly "cured child" in pediatric oncology that envisages not only a biological cure of the disease but a child at par with peers in growth and development physically and in achievements and aspirations both mentally and emotionally," she added.
According to Dr. Kapoor, environment and cancer have direct correlation. "Nutrition and exercise have an important role to play in preventing cancer. Those who are obese, have junk food are more likely to have cancers. So good habits need to be inculcated right from childhood," she stated.
Along with this, she also advocated for monitoring its symptoms and periodic investigation. Most cases of childhood cancer can be cured if treated on time. Therefore, widespread awareness about this is the need of the hour, she concluded.