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Concept
Childhood cancer
Summary
Childhood cancer is cancer in a child. About 80% of childhood cancer cases can be successfully treated thanks to modern medical treatments and optimal patient care. However, only about 10% of children diagnosed with cancer reside in high-income countries where the necessary treatments and care is available. Childhood cancer represents only about 1% of all types of cancers diagnosed in children and adults. For this reason, childhood cancer is often ignored in control planning, contributing to the burden of missed opportunities for its diagnoses and management in countries that are low- and mid-income.
In the United States, an arbitrarily adopted standard of the ages used are 0–14 years inclusive, that is, up to 14 years 11.9 months of age. However, the definition of childhood cancer sometimes includes adolescents between 15 and 19 years old. Pediatric oncology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children.
Leukemia
This is the most common type of cancer during childhood, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is most common in children. ALL usually develops in children between the ages of 1 and 10 (it could occur at any age). This type of cancer is more prevalent in males and in whites.
Signs & Symptoms:
Frequent delayed diagnosis (early symptoms are nonspecific)
Generalized malaise
Loss of appetite
Low-grade fever
Pallor
Petechiae
Ecchymoses
Bone pain
Significant, unintended, and sudden weight loss
Physical examination:
Significant lymphadenopathy
Hepatosplenomegaly should raise suspicion for leukemia.
Important: It is recommended that a complete blood count is obtained (CBC) if any suspicious finding arise.
This is the second most common malignancy diagnosed during childhood.
Signs and Symptoms
Ataxia
Other gait disturbances (hydrocephalus due to aqueduct compression)
Cranial nerve abnormalities as a result of brainstem compression
The likelihood of developing Hodgkin's disease increases during childhood and it peaks in adolescence.
Official source
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