Cancer in Children

Cancer in Children

Can cancer develop in children? At what age? No age is free from cancer. Certain forms of cancer, especially of the eyes and blood are most occasionally found in young children.  If a parent dies of cancer are the children more likely to have the disease?The answer is no. In many families where a parent has had cancer, the disease does not appear in the children. Again, a person whose family has no record of cancer may develop it. A tendency to develop breast cancer however runs in families.  Does cancer develop more quickly in children than in older people?The rate of growth at any age depends upon the type of cancer, though cancer does grow faster at younger ages. If detected in time, can cancer in a child be cured more quickly than in an adult? The cure of cancer has little relationship with age. It depends upon the extent of growth at the time it is detected, and the adequacy of the treatment given as well as the type of cancer detected.              What techniques are used to detect cancer?Xerography, mammography, thermographs, CAT Scans, etc. are some of the highly sophisticated methods of cancer detection, in addition to clinical and pathological examinations. What Is Cancer? In simple terms, cancer is an abnormal growth of body cells. Each one of us is born with a potential for cancer. When the programming of a cell or a group of cells is affected, growth may become uncontrolled. Some of the factors that can alter the code are chronic irritation, tobacco, smoke and dust, radioactive substances, age, sex, race and heredity. While one cannot control many of these factors, we need to be aware of the ones we can control of. Prevention is definitely better than treatment of cancer. No one yet talks of cure, treatment:  What are signs and symptoms? A sign is also a signal that something is not right in the body. But signs are signals that can be seen by someone else -- maybe a loved one, or a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional. Fever, fast breathing, and abnormal lung sounds heard through a stethoscope may be signs of pneumonia. A symptom is a signal of disease, illness, injury, or that something is not right in the body. Symptoms are felt or noticed by the person who has them, but may not be easily seen by anyone else. For example, weakness aches, and feeling short of breath may be symptoms of pneumonia. Having one sign or symptom may not be enough to figure out what's causing it. For example, a rash in a child could be a sign of a number of things, such as poison ivy, measles, a skin infection, or a food allergy. But if the child has the rash along with other signs and symptoms like a high fever, chills, itchiness, and a sore throat, then a doctor can get a better picture of the illness. Sometimes, a patient's signs and symptoms still don't give the doctor enough clues to figure out the cause of an illness. Then medical tests, such as x-rays, blood tests, or a biopsy may be needed. How does cancer cause signs and symptoms? Cancer is a group of diseases that can cause almost any sign or symptom. The signs and symptoms will depend on where the cancer is, how big it is, and how much it affects the organs or tissues. If a cancer has spread (metastasized), signs or symptoms may appear in different parts of the body. As a cancer grows, it can begin to push on nearby organs, blood vessels, and nerves. This pressure causes some of the signs and symptoms of cancer. If the cancer is in a critical area, such as certain parts of the brain, even the smallest tumor can cause symptoms. But sometimes cancer starts in places where it will not cause any symptoms until it has grown quite large. One example is cancers in the pancreas. They usually do not cause symptoms until they grow large enough to press on nearby nerves or organs (this causes back or belly pain). Others grow around the bile duct and block the flow of bile. This causes the eyes and skin to look yellow (jaundice). By the time a pancreatic cancer causes these signs or symptoms, it is usually in an advanced stage. This means it has grown and spread beyond the place it started -- the pancreas. A cancer may also cause symptoms like fever, extreme tiredness (fatigue), or weight loss. This may be because cancer cells use up much of the body's energy supply, or they may release substances that change the way the body makes energy from food. Or the cancer may cause the immune system to react in ways that produce these symptoms. Sometimes, cancer cells release substances into the bloodstream that cause symptoms which are not usually linked to cancer. For example, some cancers of the pancreas can release substances which cause blood clots in veins of the legs. Some lung cancers make hormone-like substances that raise blood calcium levels. This affects nerves and muscles, making the person feel weak and dizzy.                                                     The End.