Childhood Cancer Is No Longer A Death Sentence: Till a few decades ago, diagnosis of cancer in children was considered no less than a nightmare for families. Due to limited treatment options and low survival rates, many parents lost hope. But now the picture is changing rapidly. Thanks to the progress in medical science, today a large number of children have defeated cancer and are living a normal and healthy life.

Many cases are recovering completely

According to experts, childhood cancer has now become a more treatable disease than before and in many cases completely curable. Better medicines, early detection, modern treatments and availability of specialized hospitals have completely changed the treatment outcomes for children.

Dr. Pramod Kumar, Fortis New Delhi says that there has been tremendous improvement in the treatment of childhood cancer in the last two decades. According to him, with current treatment methods, about 80 to 85 percent of children suffering from cancer can survive for a long time. Whereas in some cancers like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, if timely treatment is received, the chances of recovery can be more than 90 percent.

On what factors does the cure of cancer in children depend?

Doctors say that the success of treatment depends on many things. The type of cancer, at what stage the disease is detected, the child’s genetic profile and how the body responds to treatment, all these things play an important role. Children’s bodies tolerate chemotherapy better than adults, which increases the chances of treatment success.

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Changed method of treatment

The biggest change in the treatment of childhood cancer is being seen in the form of personalized and risk-based treatment. Earlier, almost the same therapy was given to all patients, but now doctors decide the treatment according to the condition of each child. This makes the treatment more effective and also reduces side effects.

Today, modern technologies like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, surgery, radiation and bone marrow transplant are being used to treat cancer in children, while CAR-T cell therapy and stem cell transplant have emerged as the new hope in cases of difficult and recurring cancer. These techniques have shown good results especially in blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

Things are getting better in India

In India too, the survival rate in cases of childhood cancer is continuously improving. Increasing awareness, better diagnosis and availability of specialized cancer centers have played a big role in this. Experts say that if signs like persistent fever, frequent infections, abnormal bleeding, extreme fatigue, swelling or sudden weight loss are seen, then they should not be ignored.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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Why Childhood Cancer Deaths Are Higher In Poor Countries: Cancer in children is becoming a serious and growing concern around the world, but what is most worrying is that most of the cases and deaths are occurring in poor and middle-income countries. The Global Burden of Disease 2023 study published in The Lancet has revealed many shocking figures regarding this inequality. According to the report, in the year 2023, about 3.77 lakh new cases of cancer were reported in children across the world, while about 1.44 lakh children died, this disease has become one of the leading causes of death in children and is taking more lives than diseases like measles, TB and HIV/AIDS.

More deaths in low and middle income countries

The most worrying aspect is that about 94 percent of these deaths were recorded in low and middle income countries. That is, where resources are less, this disease is proving to be most fatal for children. Talking about India, about 17,000 children died due to cancer in 2023, making it the tenth biggest cause of death among children. According to Dr Swaroop Mitra, cancer expert, Cancer Care Hospital, Darbhanga, despite this, childhood cancer has not yet been given priority in India’s National Cancer Control Programme. For this, it is necessary that childhood cancer be immediately included in national cancer control plans.

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situation in south asia

South Asia remains the epicenter of this crisis, accounting for about 20.5 percent of the world’s total childhood cancer deaths. Apart from this, an increase of about 16.9 percent has also been seen in these deaths between 1990 and 2023. Although there is also a positive aspect that there has been some reduction in deaths globally, but its benefits have not reached all the countries equally. In high-income countries, children have more chances of survival due to better treatment, whereas in poor countries, lack of timely diagnosis and treatment is becoming a major obstacle.

What do experts say?

Lisa Force, the lead author of this study, says that this gap is arising due to inequality in health services. Late diagnosis, lack of necessary treatment and weaknesses in the health system are putting children’s lives at risk. The report also states that 85 percent of new cases of childhood cancer and 94 percent of deaths occur in these low and middle income countries. Additionally, 94 percent of DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) were also recorded in these countries, which shows that the impact of the disease is not limited to death, but also affects the quality of life of children.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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What Are The First Signs Of Cancer In A Child: Childhood cancer is less common than other cancers, but it is not as rare as is commonly thought. There are approximately 50,000 to 75,000 new childhood cancer cases in India every year, of which leukemia and lymphoma are the major ones. The good thing is that with timely identification and treatment, more than 80 percent of children have a chance of recovery. The real challenge is to identify the early signs in time. Let us tell you what Dr. says about this.

What needs to be done?

Dr. Shravan Kumar Bodepudi, Manipal Hospital, Vijayawada Many childhood cancers begin with very mild and seemingly normal symptoms. Long lasting fever, constant fatigue or small lump on the body, all these are often dismissed as normal diseases. Sometimes proper diagnosis and treatment is delayed for weeks or months, especially in areas where health facilities are limited. If parents remain alert and take the signs seriously, treatment can be started early.

Which symptoms need to be taken care of?

Dr. Shravan explains that if any symptom persists for more than two weeks or returns repeatedly, then do not ignore it. Seeing a lump or swelling in the neck, armpit or stomach without any reason, frequent nose bleeding, bleeding gums or the appearance of small red spots on the skin can be warnings. Persistent fever, frequent infections, unusual fatigue, unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite are also signs. Pain in bones or joints, due to which the child limps or complains of pain at night, should also be taken seriously. Vomiting with headache in the morning, problems with vision or balance, swelling in the stomach or pale face, all these demand investigation. White glow seen in the eyes in photographs may be a sign of a rare eye tumor. It is not necessary that every symptom is cancer, but it is not right to ignore them.

What should you do?

Leukemia often presents with fever, fatigue, pallor and easy bruising. In lymphoma, hard and growing lumps are seen in the neck or armpits. Brain tumors may be associated with morning headaches and balance problems, while some solid tumors appear as a swelling or lump in the abdomen. If the child’s symptoms persist or increase, contact the doctor immediately. Simple blood tests and imaging can provide early indications.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

Check out below Health Tools-
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Calculate The Age Through Age Calculator