What is childhood cancer?
Cancers are a group of diseases affecting the cells that make up our bodies. When a person has cancer, some of these cells grow uncontrollably and can spread around the body.
Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults. Whereas many cancers in adults are influenced by risk factors or the natural ageing of the body, childhood cancers do not have a known cause. The types of cancers children get are often different to cancers in adults too. The most common types of cancers in children aged 0-14 years are leukaemias, brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumours, and lymphomas. The number of children who develop cancer is much lower than the number of adults who develop cancer – less than 1% of new cancer cases each year are in children.
Research is being done to better understand what causes cancer in children. Parents of children with cancer can sometimes feel like something they did, or didn’t do, caused their child’s cancer. But the causes of childhood cancers remain unknown and there is no known way to prevent them; no one should feel blamed.
Survival of childhood cancers in the UK has drastically increased since the 1970s. Now 80% of children and young people diagnosed with cancer will survive for at least 10 years. There is however much work still to be done to improve survival across different types of cancers and to make the process of living through and beyond treatment better for children.
Signs and symptoms
Cancer symptoms can be very similar to other illnesses and vary between children. The following symptoms are usually not cancer but please visit your doctor if your child has any of these. Knowing these signs and symptoms can aid in early diagnosis.
- Continued, unexplained weight loss
- Headaches, often with early morning vomiting
- Increased swelling or persistent pain in the bones, joints, back or legs
- Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis or armpits
- Development of excessive bruising, bleeding or rash
- Constant, frequent, or persistent infections
- A whitish colour behind the pupil
- Nausea that persists or vomiting without nausea
- Constant tiredness or noticeable paleness
- Eye or vision changes that occur suddenly or persist
- Recurring or persistent fevers of unknown origin
Treatment
A variety of different treatments can be used to treat cancer. A child or young person may receive all or just some of them depending on the type of cancer they have and how advanced it is. Although childhood cancers are often different to adult cancers, they will likely receive the same treatments as adults.
Common types of treatment are:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Surgery
- Immunotherapy
- Stem cell transplants.
Most cancer treatments will cause side effects, but these can vary between different children. Your consultant will advise on the best way to manage side effects from treatment. Learning how to improve and manage side effects better for children and young people is a key focus of our research.
A child will be referred to one of 21 specialist hospitals in the UK, called Principal Treatment Centres. There are two Principal Treatment Centres for children's cancer in Yorkshire: Leeds Children's Hospital and Sheffield Children's Hospital. After initial treatment, follow-up care may be delivered in a hospital closer to the child's home. These are called Shared Care Hospitals.
A child or young person may have to stay in hospital for the duration of their treatment, or they may be able to have treatment as an outpatient, or even at their home. The length of treatment will vary by the site, stage and type of cancer a child has.