Common Infectious Diseases: Examples and Prevention Tips

Author :-

Dr.Sreejaya

General Medicine & Diabetology

Introduction to Paediatric Cancer

Although paediatric cancer is not a common disease, it accounts for the highest morbidity and mortality. Despite accounting for only 1% of all cancer reports, paediatric cancer remains a significant issue due to the prevalence of characteristic cancers that primarily affect small children. Since most adult cancers are exogenous and lifestyle-related, childhood cancers are genetically determined. There is a need to identify childhood cancers early with interventions so that children can have better survival outcomes with quality of life.

Overview of Cancer in Children

Every year, about 400,000 children receive a cancer diagnosis. The commonest types of cancers are leukaemias, central nervous system tumours, brain tumours, and lymphomas. Every year, almost 50,000 new cases of children's cancer occur in India alone. Leukaemia is the most common cancer in children, accounting for nearly one-third of all cancers diagnosed worldwide at any given time.

The importance of early detection

Paediatric cancers survive at an early age. For instance, the developed world establishes an 80–90% survival rate for the first stage of leukaemia. Most of the cancer symptoms and signs in children imitate usual childhood diseases. Thus, awareness of warning signs and medical care leads to early diagnosis of childhood cancers.

Common types of cancer in children

Leukaemia (blood cancer in children)

Childhood Leukaemia or Blood Cancer in Children Childhood leukaemia, a common cancer among children, affects nearly 30% of the total population. This cancer occurs in the blood and, most importantly, in the bone marrow, thus increasing the count of abnormal white blood cells that multiply outside control.

There are two types of leukaemia in children:

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia All: This is the most common cause and accounts for nearly 75% of all cases of leukaemia in children.

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML): This one is a rare form, comprising an insignificantly small proportion of paediatric leukaemia, at a low 15-20%.

Brain and Central Nervous System Tumours

This is the most common cancer in childhood, accounting for almost 25% of all diagnoses, except the brain and CNS. Symptoms such as headaches, poor coordination, or balance heavily influence this, as the tumour may be located in either the brain or spinal cord.

Bone Cancers (Osteosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma)

Two types of cancer mainly occur during the teenage and early years of life. Osteosarcoma is the most common limb bone cancer while Ewing sarcoma is a sporadic bone cancer that is slightly more common in the soft tissues. Reports indicate that the combined incidence of both cancers accounts for 3–4% of all childhood cancers.

Lymphomas

Lymph is the fluid that circulates throughout the body, carrying cells that fight infection. There are two major types of cancer of the lymph: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These cancers make up nearly 7% of all cancers diagnosed in children. Most cases occur when patients are teenagers.

Neuroblastoma

It is one of the first cancers that affects nerve cells. At times, doctors can diagnose this disease even in infants or toddlers. Generally, the disease originates in the adrenal glands, accounting for about 6–8% of all children diagnosed with cancer.

Retinoblastoma

This is a sporadic eye disease that mainly affects children under five years of age. The disease is swift and aggressive, making early diagnosis crucial, as it has the potential to spread by invading adjacent tissues.

Symptoms of Childhood Cancer

General Symptoms to Watch For

The symptoms of childhood cancer can be quite vague. Among the common signs include:

Weight loss
Protracted fever
Weakness

Children experience symptoms unique to blood cancer

Child blood cancer symptoms include unprovoked bleeding, bruising, pain, and tenderness to the touch. Any of these symptoms can be caused by lymphoma. Infection. The spleen or lymph nodes enlarge and the blood vessels weaken, bleed, or bruise without any apparent cause.

Bone Cancer Symptoms

Although bone cancer is very rare, the likelihood of having it does increase with age. Acute bone pain, or tumorous growth within the bone, or bone and muscle joint, which causes severe pain, sometimes painless, until and unless it goes to the advanced stages.

There are early warning signs of brain and CNS tumours

Bone aches at sunset, bone caries, and bone fractures are common. The brain and central nervous system are invaded by tumours. Tumour threats cause signs and symptoms. A child with a brain or CNS tumours typically presents with any or all of the following symptoms or conditions: headaches, often occurring in the early morning, nausea and vomiting, distorted vision, earaches, dizziness, and difficulty walking.

Diagnosing Cancer in Children: Diagnostic Tests and Procedures

Blood tests for cancer detection

Blood Tests for Cancer Diagnosis: Blood tests reveal a positive result with elevated levels of white blood cells, platelet counts, and red blood cells, likely indicating leukaemia.

MRI, CT scans, and X-ray applications also demonstrate the presence or absence of these cancers. The procedures described above allow for the forwarding of tissue specimens to a biopsy to determine the type of cancer.

Imaging and biopsy

Imagine x-rays and biopsy as crucial tests that would detect the cancer.

We offer specialised tests such as bone cancer treatment and blood cancer screening.

Advanced Tests: Bone Cancer Treatment and Blood Cancer Screening. Special tests, such as bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture, often reveal the advanced progress of cancer or leukaemia, as well as the rate at which diseases develop in the bones.

Treatment Options for Childhood Cancer

Types of cancer treatments

Chemotherapy: This is one of the most common modalities; drugs applied to the lesions aid in their removal. Chemotherapy has a very high success rate with blood cancers, that is, leukaemia.

Radiation therapy: It is a major treatment modality that uses internal radiotherapy to remove solid tumours, such as bone and brain cancers.

Surgery: Essentially, regional diseases of surgery would involve resections of parts of the body known to be affected by the disease, similar to osteosarcoma or retinoblastoma.

Targeted therapy refers to medications that specifically target the mutations occurring within cancer cells.

Immunotherapy: Only this is a recently discovered treatment modality that enables the patient's immune cells to combat cancerous cells. Children diagnosed with oncology undergo this type of treatment.

Cancer Therapy for Specific Types (e.g., Bone Cancer Treatment, Blood Cancer)

Different cancer types necessitate different planning strategies. Hence, one can find that treatment options for bone cancer include surgery for osteosarcoma and chemotherapy after radiation therapy.

Treatment for Blood Cancer: Patients can receive chemotherapy in cycles. Bone marrow transplantation is a follow-up for leukaemia.

Treatment plans incorporate the role of cancer medicine.

We chose the anticancer drugs based on the type, characteristics, and behaviour of the cancer, as well as the child's overall health. We provide supportive care and manage the side effects effectively. Treatment for children with cancer has traditionally included everything from nausea and hair loss to reduced immunity.

Supportive care and managing side effects

Supportive care encompasses pain relief and psychological counselling. In this case, general supportive care encompasses some of the best and most valuable characteristics for managing cancer, including nutrition, pain relief, and psychological counselling. Proper care generally should include all kinds of medical care, including emotional and social care given to the child and family in hospitals.

Cancer in the Blood: Understanding Leukaemia in Children

Types of Childhood Leukaemia

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Blood Cancer

Most patients suffering from leukaemia will present with symptoms of extreme fatigue, recurrent infections, loss of appetite, bone or joint pain, significant weight loss, and sometimes confusion or inability to concentrate. Diagnosis: Doctors use major procedures like blood tests, bone marrow biopsies, and sometimes imaging to diagnose this condition.

Approaches to treatment for blood cancer in children

This is a late stage of the disease, and chemotherapy and stem cell transplant are the treatment methods.

The hospital should admit a child for cancer treatment at the oldest age possible.

Cancer Hospitalisation: What to Expect.

The majority of children undergoing cancer treatment typically spend most of their days in hospitals, either receiving high doses of chemotherapy or recovering from surgery. Paediatric oncology is highly specialised and provides children with the necessary personal attention. Expect a longer time with medical experts than general OPDs.

The hospitalisation process for cancer treatment.

Comprehensive paediatric oncology support is crucial

An integrated team of paediatric oncologists, nurses, psychologists, and social workers provides multidisciplinary, comprehensive care for children afflicted with cancer. World-class hospitals, like Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the USA, and Kangaroo Care units specifically dedicated to paediatric oncology.

Conclusion

This cancer diagnosis, in all its aspects, is a revolutionary phenomenon that has greatly contributed to the early identification and treatment of most children. Ultimately, all cancers are inevitable, as everyone can contribute to the symptoms and treatments of others. Proper care and support also bring the best chance of full recovery to all these children.

FAQ’s

1. What are the common types of childhood cancer?

Common types of childhood cancer include childhood leukaemia, which accounts for 30% of all childhood cancer types.

2. What are the symptoms that indicate cancer?

Unexplained weight loss
Excessive tiredness
Recurrent infections
Bony pains
Enlarged lymph nodes. Symptoms vary with the type of cancer.

3. How are children's cancers diagnosed?

A series of tests is performed. We align the diagnosis with lab work and imaging procedures like MRI, CT scans, and biopsy procedures to determine the presence and type of cancer.

4. When do chemotherapy and radiation therapies take effect?

Depending upon the stage and nature of that type of cancer, all chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy can be involved.

5. Are these earnings for the survival of children with cancer?

Yes, there are. The earnings concerning the survival of children with cancer are huge. The survival rate increases to 80–90% in critical early-stage leukaemia cases, among others.