Healthy lifestyle key for childhood cancer survivors

Following a healthy lifestyle may lower childhood cancer survivors' risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, says a study. Adults who had cancer as children are known to be at increased risk for the

By: Editorial Team | | Published: July 29, 2014 6:34 pm

Following a healthy lifestyle may lower childhood cancer survivors’ risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, says a study. Adults who had cancer as children are known to be at increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that increases the likelihood of developing heart disease and other health problems such as diabetes and stroke. Also Read - 7 reasons why the #BeefBan is good

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People with the metabolic syndrome have some combination of factors including high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and glucose levels, and increased body fat. Kirsten Ness from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and her colleagues looked to see if lifestyle habits might affect cancer survivors’ risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. The team studied 1,598 childhood cancer survivors who were cancer-free for at least 10 years. The findings indicate that children with cancer and adults who had cancer when they were children should receive information about how their lifestyle may influence their long-term health. The metabolic syndrome was present in 31.8 percent of the participants. Also Read - 10 Indian traditions we should go back to

Females who did not follow the guidelines were 2.4 and males were 2.2 times more likely to have the metabolic syndrome than those who followed the guidelines. Cancer survivors should not smoke. ‘In addition, adopting a lifestyle that includes maintaining a healthy body weight, regular physical activity, and a diet that includes fruits and vegetables and that limits refined sugars, excessive alcohol, red meat, and salt has potential to prevent development of the metabolic syndrome,’ said Ness.

The study appeared online in the journal CANCER.

How are pediatric cancers different from that of adult cancers?

The biology of the cancers of children is different from that of the adults. ‘The causes of majority of adult cancers are related to lifestyle and ill habits. Tobacco, cigarettes, a diet heavy on junk and a sedentary lifestyle all contribute to the cancer castle in an adult. But in children genetic mutation leads to this deadly disease, which in most cases, is not under our control,’ explains Dr Vora. ‘But the silver lining is that pediatric cancers are curable to a large extent. Irrespective of the tumor type, on an average 70 to 75 percent of pediatric cancers are curable, which isn’t the case with adult cancers,’ says Dr Vora. Explaining further Dr S D Banavali, head of medical oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital says, ‘There is a general lack of awareness among people regarding pediatric cancer. People do not understand the difference between pediatric cancer and adult cancers. While pediatric cancers are usually curable but many people drop out of the treatment hearing the prognosis and related expenses.’

What are the signs that parents should look out for?

Reach out to your pediatrician if:

Your child is sick for no apparent reason for more than two weeks
You notice a lump on any part of the body
Your child’s eyes show a whiteness in the pupil area
Your child gets tired very fast
Has recurrent high fever
Unexplained weight loss

Meet your pediatrician and evaluate your child’s health. Take a second or a third opinion if the need be. Remember it’s your child’s health which is of utmost importance. Read more about Cancers in children types, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

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Published : July 29, 2014 6:34 pm

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