Cancer is Curable: Much remains to be done to fight Childhood Cancer

Approx 40000 children being diagnosed with cancer 

each year in India

by Priya Jadhav

Mumbai, 30 September 2019: The month of September has been marked in the calendar worldwide as the childhood cancer awareness month. Cancers in children are different from adults. Unlike adult cancers, cancers in children are usually highly curable. 7-8 children out of 10 can be cured from cancer if diagnosed on time and treated appropriately. 

The common types of cancer seen in children vary by age. Common sites include blood and bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, nervous system, kidneys and soft tissues. In younger children, blood cancers are the commonest. In the adolescent age group, certain types of cancers of the bone and muscle are seen more frequently than younger children. Neuroblastoma and Wilms Tumor occur commonly in the first 5 years of life and Ewing sarcoma and Hodgkin lymphoma are commoner in children > 10 years of age. 

Facts about cancer in children:

1.      Childhood cancer is curable if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.

2.      It is not infectious and does not spread from one child to another

3.      It is not usually inherited through the genes

4.      Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential for good cure rate.

5.      Cancer in children is quite different from that in adults in many ways. Firstly only 3% of all the cancers are seen in children, and secondly, they are fast growing but also very sensitive to chemotherapy treatment.

6.      As the treatment is often long it is very important that extra care is taken at home to ensure treatment discipline, good hygiene and balanced nutrition.

7.      The treatment for cancer is somewhat complicated therefore it is advisable to take treatment in an experienced and specialized paediatric centre

8.      A child after completing after treatment for cancer is normal like any other child and can go to school and play etc.

Dr. Akanksha Chichra, Surya Hospitals - Paediatric Oncologist & BMT Physician says, “The treatment of childhood cancers requires the joint efforts of the Pediatric Oncologist, General pediatrician, Pediatric intensivist, Pediatric surgeon, Radiation oncologist, Occupational therapist and social worker.

“The main types of treatment used for childhood cancer include- chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Same types of cancers might be treated with high dose chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant. Newer types of treatment like targeted therapy and immunotherapy have also shown promise in treating some types of childhood cancers. Cure is a very realistic and practically achievable goal if given proper treatment.” She further commented.

The era of risk adapted therapy in the field of pediatric oncology has helped to improve overall outcomes and also improve quality of life of the survivors of childhood cancer.

Major advancements in the techniques of delivering radiation in children with solid tumors, like IMRT and IGRT, have also helped to give better tumor directed therapy and with lesser side effects.

Our surgical colleagues help us not only at diagnosis but also in putting central lines to administer chemotherapy so that the children have a comfortable and prick free treatment when they come for scheduled chemotherapies.

About Surya Hospitals:Surya Hospitals have been a pioneer in offering modern healthcare services for Women & Children in India since 1985. Over the last three decades Surya Hospitals have regularly embraced the latest advancements in medical science and introduced cutting-edge medical technology to offer ‘best-in-class’ clinical outcomes and patient experiences.

Patients have shown a relentless faith in our services and that has given us the confidence to grow from a modest 22 bedded pediatric nursing home in Mumbai more than three decades ago to a chain of multiple hospitals offering standardized care to women and children in the country. Surya Hospitals is present in Mumbai and Jaipur offering high end services in mother and care. This makes Surya Hospitals is one of the fastest growing single specialty hospital chain in Asia.