Understanding Kids Cancer

Types of Kids Cancer & Kids Cancer Treatments

Understanding Cancer

Types of Kids Cancer

Understanding kids’ cancer involves recognizing the unique aspects of cancer in children and gaining insights into its causes, types, and treatment approaches. Cancer in children often grows faster than adult cancers and can get worse more quickly. Some cancer treatments for adults aren’t safe for children’s growing bodies. But many childhood cancers are easier to cure.

In the United States, the most common types of cancer diagnosed among kids were:

  • Leukemias
  • Affects the blood and bone marrow.
  • Brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumors
  • Develop in the brain or spinal cord
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Originates in nerve tissue
  • Wilms Tumor
  • A kidney cancer that primarily affects children
  • Lymphoma
  • Affects the lymphatic system
Thanks to investment in research and treatment, survival has increased dramatically over the past years, and four out of five young cancer patients can be successfully treated if diagnosed at their earlier stages.

Kids Cancer Treatments

The outlook for children with cancer has improved dramatically over the years, but there's still lots to be done in this sector

Chemotherapy

"Chemotherapy is a treatment which uses drugs to kill cancer cells.   There are lots of different types of chemotherapy drugs, and exactly which drugs your child may receive will depend on what type of cancer your child has. Children will often be treated with a combination of different drugs.  It can be used for different reasons including to"
  • Reduce the size of solid tumors before surgery – known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy
  • Kill cancer cells in the body and reduce the chance of the cancer coming back – known as adjuvant chemotherapy
  • Alleviate symptoms if a person cannot be cured of their cancer – known as palliative chemotherapy

Radiotherapy

"Radiotherapy is a treatment where high-energy radiation, such as x-rays, is directed towards parts of the body to kill cancer cells.  There are a few reasons why a child might receive radiotherapy, including to."
  • make tumors smaller before surgery – known as neoadjuvant radiotherapy
  • kill cancer cells near the site of the tumor to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back – known as adjuvant radiotherapy
  • alleviate symptoms if they cannot be cured of their cancer – known as palliative radiotherapy

Immunotherapy

"Cancer immunotherapy refers to the use of treatments that harness and enhance the natural powers of the immune system to fight cancer. The immune system is our first line of defence against cancer; immune cells patrol the body on the look out for cells that are not normal, such as bacteria, viruses and cancer cells, and try to destroy them. It uses substances that naturally occur in the body to boost the functioning of the immune system. As a result, the body is able to destroy cancer cells more effectively, and with fewer side-effects."

Surgery

"Surgery plays a very important part in the treatment of cancer, aiming to remove the tumor during an operation. Depending on the size and position of the tumor in the body, surgery may be the first part of treatment. Sometimes, surgery may be dangerous or cause too much damage because of the size and position of the tumor. In these situations, chemotherapy or radiotherapy may first be used to shrink the tumor"

Precision Medicine

"Precision medicine is an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle. This includes a personalized approach to cancer treatment which is tailored to the patient’s specific type of cancer. Scientists use state of the art genetic sequencing to identify key genetic and proteomic changes in a patient’s tumor. These individual variations in genes allow doctors to allocate young patients to very focused tumor categories and prescribe treatments to their cancer’s individual makeup."

Stem Cell Transplantation

"A procedure that helps repair bone marrow damaged by high-dose treatment and restore normal blood cell production."

Risks and causes of cancer in children

Understanding what contributes to childhood cancer remains challenging due to its rarity and diverse types. While certain factors may slightly elevate risks, most children with cancer are not affected by them. Key considerations include:

— Medical Conditions

Some conditions, like Down’s syndrome, may increase the risk, although cancer is still rare among affected children.

— Genetics

Certain cancers, like retinoblastoma, can result from genetic mutations, either inherited or occurring during early development in the womb.

— Developmental Issues

Cancers like Wilms’ tumors and retinoblastomas may originate from developmental problems during fetal growth, where immature cells persist.

— Infections

While Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is common and usually harmless, in rare cases, it may contribute to the development of specific cancers like Hodgkin lymphoma.

— Radiation Exposure

Radiotherapy during cancer treatment slightly elevates the risk of developing another cancer later on, but the benefits often outweigh the small risk.

— Previous Cancer Treatments:

Chemotherapy, while crucial for treatment, may increase the risk of cancers like acute leukemia in children and adults, often manifesting many years later.

About Kids Cancer in a nutshell

Causes

  • Genetic Factors: Some cancers have a genetic predisposition.
  • Environmental Factors: Exposure to certain substances or radiation.
  • Immune System: Weakened immune systems may contribute.

Symptoms

  • Symptoms vary based on the type of cancer but may include persistent fever, unexplained weight loss, pain, and changes in blood counts

Diagnosis

  • Medical history, physical exams, blood tests, imaging, and biopsy are common diagnostic tools.

Treatment

  • Treatment plans often include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy
  • The specific approach depends on the type and stage of cancer

Survivorship

  • Many children with cancer can be cured, and the overall survival rates have improved over the years. However, the treatments can have long-term effects, and survivorship care is essential.

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