There are several types of cancer that often attack children. Cancer in children is often not detected early because children sometimes find it difficult to convey the complaints they feel. Therefore, parents need to recognize what types of cancer often attack children, along with the symptoms.
Cancer is a dangerous disease that can affect anyone, including children. Cancer can even attack a fetus that is still in the womb.
Unlike cancer in adults, which can be caused by various factors, such as certain diseases, unhealthy lifestyles, and environmental factors, cancer in children tends to be caused by genetic disorders or hereditary factors.
The types of cancer that often attack children and their symptoms
Most cases of cancer in children are only detected when they have entered the final or advanced stage. In fact, the chances of recovery will be higher if the cancer is detected early and treated early.
One of the reasons why cancer in children is often detected late is due to the lack of information and knowledge of parents about cancer in children.
Therefore, it is important for parents to know some types of cancer that are more common in children and their signs and symptoms. The following are some types of cancer that often attack children:
1. Leukemia
Leukemia or blood cancer is the most common type of cancer experienced by children in various parts of the world, including Indonesia. Of all types of cancer that attack children, 28 percent are leukemia. The most common types of leukemia in children are acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.
Leukemia in children can be recognized from the following symptoms:
- Often weak, tired quickly, and more fussy
- Lack of appetite
- The child's weight has decreased drastically
- Easy bruising, nosebleeds, or frequent bleeding gums
- Frequent illness or infection
- Prolonged fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Bone and joint pain
2. Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is a cancer that attacks the retina in the eye. This cancer is often found in children under the age of 5 years. In Indonesia, this cancer is the second most common type of cancer in children after blood cancer.
One of the early and characteristic symptoms of retinoblastoma is the appearance of "cat's eye", which is a condition when a child's pupils appear shiny white when his eyes are exposed to light.
In addition, retinoblastoma also causes several other symptoms, such as red and swollen eyes that do not get better, crossed eyes, one or both of the child's eyeballs are enlarged, or the child complains of blurry vision.
3. Brain cancer
Brain cancer is also one of the most common types of cancer in children. It is estimated that about 25% of cancer cases in children are brain cancer. Symptoms of brain cancer in children can vary, depending on the size, location, and level of development of cancer cells or the stage of cancer.
Some of the symptoms of brain cancer that often occur in children include recurrent headaches, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, dizziness, seizures, and weakness or paralysis of the limbs.
4. Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the nervous tissue that often affects children under 5 years old, especially boys. This rare cancer can spread quickly to other organs, such as lymph nodes, bones, bone marrow, liver, and skin.
Symptoms of neuroblastoma can vary, depending on the part of the body that is affected. If it attacks the stomach area, symptoms can include abdominal pain, constipation, abdominal swelling, decreased appetite, and weight loss.
When neuroblastoma attacks the child's spinal cord, this cancer can cause the child to experience limb weakness, numbness, or even paralysis.
If it appears in the chest, neuroblastoma can cause symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath with wheezing. Neuroblastoma that appears in the brain can cause symptoms in the form of visual disturbances, large or small pond eyes, drooping eyelids, and headaches and seizures.
5. Lymphoma
Lymphoma is another name for cancer of the lymph nodes. There are two types of lymphoma, namely Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Both of them often attack children, especially children over 5 years old.
In general, lymphoma is characterized by the appearance of lumps in several parts of the body, such as the neck, armpits, or groin due to swollen lymph nodes. Other symptoms may include fever, itching, shortness of breath, fatigue, cough, night sweats, and drastic weight loss.
6. Bone cancer
Osteosarcoma is one of the most common types of bone cancer in children, especially in their teens. Symptoms include bone pain at night or during activities.
Over time, the pain is accompanied by swelling in the area of the cancerous bone and is painful to the touch, making it difficult for the child to move. Osteosarcoma is also characterized by brittle bones that make children vulnerable to fractures for no apparent reason during activities.
In addition to osteosarcoma, the type of bone cancer that is quite common in children is Ewing's sarcoma. Symptoms of Ewing's sarcoma in children are almost similar to those of osteosarcoma, namely high fever, weakness, fatigue, and drastic reduction in body weight.
7. Nasopharyngeal cancer
Nasopharyngeal cancer in children is more common towards adolescence and is rare in children under 14 years of age.
Nasopharyngeal cancer in children can cause symptoms, such as the appearance of a lump in the neck due to swollen lymph nodes, persistent nasal congestion, frequent nosebleeds, ringing in the ears, headache, sore throat, and hearing loss or deafness in one ear.
8. Wilms tumor
Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma is a type of kidney cancer that is quite common in children aged 2-5 years, especially boys. Some of the symptoms of Wilms tumor are pain and swelling in the abdomen, fever, nausea and vomiting, decreased appetite, shortness of breath, and blood in the urine.
By recognizing the signs and symptoms of all types of cancer that often attack children, it is hoped that cancer in children can be detected at an early stage, so that treatment can be carried out immediately and the child's chances of recovery will increase.
If you see your little one showing complaints that could lead to symptoms of cancer, immediately take him to the doctor for an examination. To diagnose cancer in children, doctors will perform various examinations such as X-rays, blood tests, bone marrow aspiration, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, and biopsy.
If the results of the examination show that the child has cancer, the doctor can provide treatment according to the stage and type of cancer the child has, ranging from chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, to bone marrow transplantation. The earlier the cancer is treated, the greater the chance of cure.