within the health anniversaries Today is one of the most important dates because every February 15 marks the International Childhood Cancer Day. Everything lies in the fact that it is one of the main causes of death of children and adolescents throughout the world. To get a general idea of its impact, each year more than 400 thousand new cases are registered according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
For its part, in the American continent it is estimated that there were 32,065 new cases in 2020 in children aged 0 to 14 years. In addition, 8,544 deaths were registered in children under 15 years of age. While in Latin America and the Caribbean the proportion was 20,855 new cases and 7,076 deaths.
The WHO points out that the majority of children with the condition live in low- and middle-income nations, where they face unacceptable inequities in aspects such as early detection, diagnosis and access to quality treatment and palliative care.
Regarding the International Day of the Fight against Childhood Cancer, the pediatric oncologist Marta Margarita Zapata Terrés, professor and tutor of the Master’s and Doctorate Program in Medical Sciences in the Division of Postgraduate Studies of the Faculty of Medicine of the UNAM, points out that in infants are leukemia more frequent. Then there are brain tumors and then lymphomas.
“Then there is a series of tumors that develop in any part of the body: bone, muscle, liver and various organs. In general, they produce common symptoms of which we are not very alert, so it is essential to be informed.”
Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death from disease. That makes it a public health problem in Mexico and the world in which we must be involved. In addition, with early detection, some types are curable in 90 percent of cases, says the university expert.
warning signs
In leukemia, fever, pallor, and bone pain occur. “The important thing is to give importance, as moms and dads, if these symptoms last more than a week, then you have to consult the pediatrician,” he explained.
Brain tumors are associated with prolonged headache (even with the use of painkillers), visual disturbances such as blurred vision or seeing double, dizziness, and walking complications.
Meanwhile, lymph node lymphomas and other tumors such as bone tumors are related to pain and increased volume in that area of the body. When those bumps that we have in the neck, armpits and groin are inflamed more than a centimeter. They must be studied, because they can grow due to an infection, but also due to cancer.
Zapata Terrés specifies that the diagnosis of childhood cancer cannot be made by the pediatrician or family doctor of first contact, but it can detect the first symptoms to refer the patient to a pediatric oncologist, who is the specialist. The specialist emphasizes that it is important that as adults, we believe children.
“If they tell us that they feel bad, that they don’t want to eat or that they have a headache, we should not think that they are lazy or that they are manipulating us, because many times these behaviors of adults delay early diagnoses.”
curable cancers
Zapata Terrés points out that of the cancers manifested at any age, childhood represents only five percent of the cases and is one of the most curable.
“In countries where there is a rapid reference and quick access to curative treatments, there are diseases such as retinoblastoma that have a 100% cure. Others, such as lymphomas, also have a very high cure rate; even leukemias in some cases have a rate above 90 or 95 percent, which is a very good thing”.
These children, in most cases, will not be adults with cancer. “Long-term follow-ups have been done around the world and there are many survivors. Less than 10 percent of childhood tumors are associated with cancers in adulthood,” she commented.
The main early detection measures are: education, that is, that at the level of society and especially doctors, parents and teachers we are aware that cancer exists in childhood.
In addition, communication between hospitals, because sometimes it is suspected that you may have cancer but there are numerous intermediate steps that it takes to be sent to an oncology area. These suspected patients should have facilities to reach a tertiary hospital, where a diagnosis can be confirmed or ruled out.
In September 2018, the WHO issued the global initiative on this topic, with the aim of addressing inequalities in countries to achieve early treatment. It seeks to achieve at least 60 percent survival of children with cancer by 2030 and reduce suffering for all.