September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (#CCAM)

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is an important observance dedicated to raising awareness about paediatric cancer and the challenges faced by children and families affected by this disease. We take this valuable opportunity to acknowledge and raise awareness about childhood cancer and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors, and their families. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among children and adolescents worldwide; currently, between 800 to 1 000 SA children are diagnosed with cancer annually. However, it’s estimated that half of the children with cancer in South Africa, are never diagnosed.

5 Type of Cancers affecting children and their symptoms:

1. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
• Most common childhood cancer, 25% of all cases
• Typically occurs between ages 2 & 4
• More common in males
• Begins in bone marrow, spreads to blood, then to organs.

Symptoms
• Bone & joint pain
• Fatigue
• Weight loss

2. Brain Tumors
• Brain and other nervous system tumors make up +/- 13.4% of cases
• Most start in the lower parts of the brain

Symptoms
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Balance problems
• Vision
• Hearing or speech problems

3. Neuroblastoma
• Arises from immature nerve cells in infants and young children younger than 5 years old
• Often begins in adrenal glands
• More common in males

Symptoms
• Impaired ability to walk
• Changes in eyes (bulging, dark circles, droopy eyelids)
• Pain in various locations of the body

4. Wilms Tumor
• Usually forms in one kidney, sometimes in both in a small number of cases
• Typically found in children 3-4 years old

Symptoms
• Swelling or lump in the belly
• Nausea
• Poor appetite

5. Lymphoma:
• Lymphomas begin in cells of the lymph system, which is a part of the immune system
• Lymphoma can begin almost anywhere
• Occurs in adults and children

Two main types:

Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Are in children younger than 5 years old
• Similar in children and adults

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• More common in younger children but is still rare in children younger than 5 years old
• Children tend to respond better to treatment than adults

Symptoms
• swollen lymph nodes
• fever, night sweats
• weight loss

Treatments for paediatric cancer

• Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy
• The type and combination of treatments used for cancer depends on the cancer type, the location of the tumor, if the cancer is new or has come back, the cancer’s stage and the child’s age