Common Cancers in Children and Their Treatment

Common Cancers in Children and Their Treatment

Cancer is one of the most devastating conditions in medical science, affecting not only adults but also children of all ages. Cancer happens when some abnormal cells of our body start to multiply uncontrollably. Although Pediatric cancers (Childhood cancer) are rare, getting an insight into the types and treatments can help parents, caregivers, and patients can help in navigating this dangerous disease effectively.

Types of Cancer in Children

There are different types of cancer that are very common in children, some of them specific to an age range. They may also show different symptoms to different children depending on the location of the tumour. Here are the most common cancers that occur in children:

Leukaemia:

Leukaemia is the most common cancer among children of age between 0 to 14. Almost 30 to 35% of cancer patients are affected by leukaemia worldwide. It is the cancer of blood and bone marrow (Red blood cells are produced by bone marrow). In leukaemia, the bone marrow produces an unprecedented amount of abnormal white blood cells, which damage healthy blood cells in the veins. Leukaemia is divided into sub-branches that are:

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): This is the most commonly found form of Leukemia in children, affecting bone marrow and lymphocytes (White Blood Cells).
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): This is a rare type of Leukemia but is very aggressive. It affects the myeloid cells of the immune system. Myeloid cells are another type of white blood cells.

Symptoms: Symptoms of leukaemia include frequent infections, fever and chills, bone or joint pain, and easy bleeding.

Brain Tumors:

Brain tumours are the second most common cancer among children. It may develop in any part of the brain and can affect other bodily functions depending upon the affected area of the brain. It has two branches: primary (Tumor arising within the brain) and metastatic (Tumor arising from other parts of the body and reaching the brain). The DNA of the cells of the brain incurs some changes, leading to brain tumours. Here are the different kinds of tumours:

• Gliomas: Glimas is a tumor that starts from the glial cells of the brain, these are the cells that help in support and protection of nerve cells.
• Ependymomas: we have fluid-filled secs called ventricles in our brain; this type of tumour starts from the cell lining of these ventricles.
• Medulloblastomas: This tumour typically develops from the cerebellum of the brain; the cerebellum helps in balance and control movement of the body.

Symptoms: symptoms may include headaches, difficulty in balancing while walking, nausea, vomiting, and behavioural changes.

Neuroblastoma:

It is a type of cancer that develops more commonly in children below the age of 5. Neuroblastoma is a cancer that affects nerve cells and is most commonly found in the adrenal glands (Found above kidney, which helps in suppressing high blood pressure). It can also occur in other parts of the body, like the pelvis, abdomen, neck, or chest.

Symptoms: depend upon the location of the tumour, but most commonly include swelling around the affected area that is neck, abdomen, or chest, unexplained weight loss, and fever.

Wilms Tumor :(Kidney Cancer)

Wilms is a kidney cancer that affects children of the age range 3 to 4. It is a rare type of cancer but fortunately curable. The cause of this cancer is still unknown, but most probably, it is due to inherited genetic mutations in DNA.

Symptoms: symptoms include blood in urine, fever, swelling, and pain in the abdomen.

Lymphoma:

Lymphoma is another variation of blood cancer that affects the immune and lymphatic systems of a person. Lymphoma differs from leukaemia in its origin and affected part. Lymphoma develops in the lymphatic system of the body and affects lymphocytes, which are the main components of the immune system. Lymphoma is also of two types:

• Hodgkin Lymphoma: although it is a more common type of Lymphatic cancer in adults, it can still affect children in some cases.
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: This type of Lymphoma is very common in children and mostly affects the spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes.

Symptoms depend on the type of Lymphoma, the most common being swelling of lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, and fatigue.

Treatments for Childhood Cancer

Treatments of childhood cancer depend upon various factors, like the child’s age, location of cancer, type of cancer, and level of spreading of cancer. The main objective of the treatment procedure is to remove the affected cells by removing the cancer cells without causing as little harm to healthy cells as possible. Here are some common cancer treatments:

1.Surgery

Surgery is the first line of defence in pediatric cancer treatment. The goal is to remove affected tissue without harming other healthy tissue. Surgery is most common in the treatment of Wilms or brain tumours because tumors can be removed from these parts easily.

2.Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a modern treatment in which the natural immune system of the body is trained to recognise and fight cancerous cells. This therapy is used when other traditional therapies do not work for specific types of cancer like neuroblastoma.

3.Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is done by bombarding high-frequency rays to kill or damage cancer cells. It is used before surgery to shrink down the tumor or after surgery to damage the remaining tumor. This therapy is done most commonly in cases of Leukemia and Brain Tumors.

4.Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is done when surgery alone can not help in treating cancer. This therapy is done when cancer has reached the stage of metastasis, where it starts spreading to other parts of the body. Strong oral or IV line medicine is used to treat cancer, which can also lead to some side effects like nausea and hair loss. It not only destroys cancer cells but also healthy cells.

5.Targeted Therapies

Targeted therapies are the new approach to cancer treatment. This therapy is based on studying genetic mutations and targeting specific cells. It is different from chemotherapy because, unlike chemotherapy, which destroys cancerous and healthy cells, it only targets the affected cells, making it more effective and free from side effects.

Conclusion

Childhood cancers are among the toughest diagnoses, but modern treatment has dramatically improved survival from most childhood cancers over the past few decades. The three most common cancers in children are leukaemia, brain tumours, and lymphoma, but in each of these, proper treatment means many children with cancer will live healthy, productive lives. Treatment often involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and newer therapies, including immunotherapy and targeted therapies. As early detection and prompt treatment often seem to be the best approach to treating childhood cancer, it would be highly beneficial for parents and caregivers to be knowledgeable about its signs and symptoms.

– Dr Neema Bhat