Pediatric Cancer
By: Saivishnu Tulugu
While cancer is typically a disease condition associated with age, children are also prone to developing certain types of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2020 alone there were 11,050 diagnoses of pediatric cancer and 1,190 attributable deaths to this disease. Thus, cancer remains the leading cause of death in children. This article will explain the various forms of pediatric cancer and bring light to some of the novel research being done to help millions of affected children worldwide.
The most common type of pediatric cancer is leukemia which accounts for 28% of all childhood cancers. Leukemia is a form of blood cancer that develops in the bone marrow and blood and affects the function of white blood cells. Symptoms typically include bone and joint pain, fatigue, and pale skin. Another common class of pediatric cancers are those related to the brain and spinal cord. These are often caused by tumors found in the lower parts of the brain such as the brainstem or cerebellum. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, and seizures. Bone cancers are also known to affect some children but these are often rare. Cancers such as osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma typically present themselves in the teenage years when a child’s bones are growing rapidly (American Cancer Society).
A common problem with cancer research is that oftentimes treatments are tested in adults and ineffective in pediatric patients. According to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, only 4% of funding for cancer research goes to treating pediatric cancers. The current standard for treating pediatric cancer involves using a combination of surgery (if applicable), radiation therapy, chemotherapy. As children are rapidly growing, chemotherapy is extremely effective as children can recover quickly (Saletta et. al). However, using high doses of chemotherapy does pose significant risk factors such as remission of cancer and hypertension. Thus, physicians typically use a multifactorial approach to mitigate the risk of severe long term effects.
New research is being done to find more effective treatments for pediatric cancer. One such option is immunotherapy. This treatment activates T-cells in a child’s immune system to help it fight against the cancer (Dijuric-Filipovic et. al). Others are looking for therapeutics that target cancer cells and prevent them from metastasizing. As the research continues to evolve, there is promise that in the future pediatric cancer will not pose as significant of a health threat that it does today.
Types + Causes of Pediatric Cancer
By: Prajna D
Many people have heard of cancer, a diagnosis that can be devastating to hear. Cancer diagnoses are one of the hardest for doctors to tell patients, especially when the patient is a child. Unfortunately, it is estimated that about 10,500 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2021, and these statistics have been rising for the past decades (American Cancer Society, 2021). With modern medicine, 84% of children diagnosed with cancer survive for 5 or more years, but this was not always the case and there continues to be fluctuation. According to the American Cancer Society, “cancer is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 14” (2021).
The most common types of cancer that develop in children include: leukemia, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, and many more. Leukemia is the most common form of child cancer, and it affects bone marrow and blood. There are several symptoms and chemotherapy may help soon after diagnosis. Neuroblastoma is found when nerve cells are developing in utero. Due to this, neuroblastoma is primarily found in infants and children less than 10 years of age. Osteosarcoma develops in areas where bone growth is rapid and is most common in teens.
Childhood cancer can be caused by numerous factors. Environmental factors such as second hand smoking and radiation exposure have been shown to lead to some forms of cancer. Other times, gene mutations in genes that influence cell division could lead to cancer, and these mutations may be inherited from parents which increases their risk for cancer, but this is not common.
Childhood cancer is very unfortunate, and it is important to help when possible. Donations can be made to American Cancer Society to support the research of cancer and help cure cancer for all children- and adults. With support. childhood cancer statistics can be reduced.
Work Cited:
Pediatric Cancer:
Childhood cancers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 09, 2021, from https://www.cancer.gov/types/childhood-cancers
Djuric-Filipovic, I., Zivanovic, S., Kostić, G., Filipovic, D., Caminti, M., & Zivkovic, Z. (2017). Current issues on immunotherapy in children. Allergen. doi:10.5772/intechopen.70298
Saletta, F., Seng, M. S., & Lau, L. M. (2014). Advances in paediatric cancer treatment. Translational pediatrics, 3(2), 156–182. https://doi.org/10.3978/j.issn.2224-4336.2014.02.01
Types + Causes of Pediatric Cancer:
American Cancer Society. (2021, January 12). Key Statistics for Childhood Cancers. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-in-children/types-of-childhood-cancers.html#references
American Cancer Society. (2019, October 14). Types of Cancer that Develop in Children. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-in-children/types-of-childhood-cancers.html#references
American Cancer Society. (2019, October 14). Risk Factors and Causes of Childhood Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-in-children/types-of-childhood-cancers.html#references
Medical Wonders 