Childhood cancer is beaten every day...

Mercifully, it is something that few of us will have the horror of facing in our lifetime, but the incidence of childhood cancer is significant, occurring in 1 in every 600 children. The good news is that if diagnosed early and treated correctly, 70% of children diagnosed with cancer can be cured and go on to live long, healthy and happy lives.

However, at least half the children with cancer in our country are never diagnosed because their symptoms are not recognised, or they are diagnosed too late for treatment to have a good chance of success. Taking these two factors into account, it is estimated that in South Africa, hundreds of children with cancer die every year, who would have survived if they were diagnosed in time.

"We believe strongly in the merits of early detection in childhood cancer and hope that many more children can be treated early and cured," says Dr James Arens, clinical operations executive at Pro Sano.

Be aware of these signs

In order to substantially increase awareness of childhood cancers, the South African Children's Cancer Study Group has prepared a list of early warning signs for parents.

The cancers that occur in childhood are generally different to those of adults and most often occur in developing cells, like bone marrow, blood, kidneys and tissues of the nervous system. According to CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation, the most common childhood cancer is leukaemia, followed by tumours of the brain and a wide variety of other tumours. Childhood cancers are generally treated with chemotherapy, surgery or radiation, and in some cases a combination of these treatments is used. In certain situations, bone marrow or stem cell transplantation is done.

Signs of childhood cancer to look out for in your child:

• Eyes: White spot in the eye, new squint, blindness, bulging eyeball.
  
• Lumps: Abdomen and pelvis, head and neck, limbs, testes, glands.
  
• Unexplained: Fever for over 2 weeks, loss of weight and appetite, paleness, fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding.
  
• Aching: Bones, joints, back and easy fractures.
  
• Neurological Signs: Change or deterioration in walking, balance, speech or behaviour, regression of milestones, early morning vomiting and/or headache for more than a week, enlarging head.