Cancer in Children
Listen to your heart. It may happen. If it happens, we’re here to help you.
Take your child to all regular medical check-ups. Ask your doctor to explain step by step how your medical exam is going.
During these checks, make sure that a thorough abdominal examination is performed, with particular attention given to the adrenal glands (near the kidneys). The doctor should check the child’s eyes. He should ask if you have noticed fatigue, vomiting, bleeding, tingling or behavioral changes in your child. Between regular medical checkups, any unusual signs or symptoms (nausea, bloating, double vision, embolism, nasal bleeding, dizziness, nervousness, breathing difficulties, etc.) for which there are no apparent causes should be investigated.
How common is cancer in children?
Cancer in children is rarely encountered. However, as parents, you need to know the symptoms of cancer in children.
Pay attention to the sudden, persistent changes in the health or behavior of the child described above. Since most cancer symptoms can be attributed to benign conditions, diagnosis of cancer can be a long process.
You need to trust your instincts and work with the doctor, using what you know about the child and the doctor’s medical knowledge to protect your baby’s health.
Most likely your child will not get cancer; the probability of a child getting cancer before the age of 19 is about 1 to 330. But cancer is the second cause of infant mortality, surpassed by accidents alone.
As you put your child in a special seat in the car or seat belt, just as you teach your child to play safely, just as you supervise your child so they do not get hurt, so it is advisable to watch it, does it show signs of cancer?
Symptoms
- Continued, unexplained weight loss
- Headaches, often with early morning vomiting
- Increased swelling or persistent pain in bones, joints, back, or legs
- Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis, or armpits
- Development of excessive bruising, bleeding, or rash
- Constant infections
- A whitish color behind the pupil, squint or redness in the eye, shrunken or swollen eye
- Nausea which persists or vomiting without nausea
- Constant tiredness or noticeable paleness
- Eye or vision changes which occur suddenly and persist
- Recurrent or persistent fevers of unknown origin
In the end…
As a parent, you must notify the symptoms of cancer. Your pediatrician is probably a good doctor, but pediatricians are busy, they do not know your baby as well as you may never have a diagnosis of cancer in children. You need to trust intuition when you feel that there is something wrong with your child, even if your doctor first interprets the symptoms as indicating a common childhood illness. Your doctor may be right, but you have to make sure that some tests and tests are done to rule out cancer. Myriad Genetics also offers tests such as MyRisk that would tell you your child’s genetic risk of getting certain cancers.
