Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Cancer in Children
Content:
- Classification of cancer in children
- Cancer Causes in Children
- Cancer symptoms in children
- Cancer diagnosis in children
- Cancer treatment in children
Cancer in children is an oncological disease that manifests itself in childhood. According to statistics, this form of the disease occurs in 15 children out of 1000.
Classification of cancer in children
Most often in childhood, they encounter cancer of the hematopoietic organs. We are talking about leukemia, malignant lymphomas, lymphogranulomatosis. The probability of this is about 70%. These tumors are called hematological malignancies.
More rarely, formations are formed in the central nervous system, bone and soft tissues. The most rare should be considered "adult" types of cancer - from 2 to 4% (tumors of the skin, genitals).
Thus, treatment depends entirely on what type of cancer the child has. Therefore, it is necessary to consider each of them separately.
Cancer Causes in Children
The cause of all oncological diseases should be considered a genetic breakdown in any of the cells. It is she who provokes uncontrolled growth, as well as the multiplication of tumor cells. It is also characteristic that, if in older people it is possible to determine a number of risk factors that are able to provoke such mutations, then in the case of children, minor genetic abnormalities that have been passed on from their parents become a catalyst for cancer.
Many people have such anomalies, but not all of them provoke the development of malignant tumors. The risk indicators that affect the child himself (radiation, smoking, negative environmental background) do not really matter much.
See also: Other Cancer Causes and Risk Factors
It should be borne in mind that almost all diseases of a genetic nature, namely Down's or Kleinfelter's syndrome, as well as Fanconi's anemia, are associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Cancer symptoms in children
Leukemia
In children, leukemia manifests itself in:
- significant fatigue and weakness in the muscle area;
- pallor of the skin;
- loss of appetite and body index;
- increased body temperature;
- excessively active degree of bleeding;
- painful sensations in the area of bone tissue and joints;
- a change in the size of the abdomen, which becomes a consequence of the fact that some organs become larger;
- changes in the size of the lymph nodes in the cervical, groin and axillary regions;
- the formation of shortness of breath;
- frequent urge to vomit;
- dysfunction of vision and balance while walking;
- hemorrhage or redness on the skin.
For leukemia, it is characteristic that all the symptoms do not appear simultaneously, but separately. It can start with all sorts of violations that are formed in a different order. In some children, this may be a change in the color of the skin and a holistic malaise, in the rest - disturbances in walking and problems with visual functions.
Tumors of the brain and spinal cord
Formations that form in the brain are most common in children between the ages of five and ten. The degree of danger of this ailment is in direct proportion to the area of location and the final volume. Unlike older people, in whom cancer develops in the large hemispheres, in children, cerebellar tissues are affected, as well as the brain stem.
Signs that indicate the presence of formations in the brain are as follows:
- a very severe migraine, which occurs mainly in the morning and becomes more intense when coughing or when trying to tilt the head. For those who do not yet know how to speak, painful sensations appear in a state of anxiety or crying. A small child holds his head and actively rubs his face;
- vomiting in the morning;
- dysfunction of coordination of movements, gait, eyes;
- a change in behavior, while the baby refuses to play, withdraws into himself and sits like a stunned one, without making any attempts to move;
- a state of apathy;
- the formation of hallucinations: visual, vocal.
In addition, in children there is a change in the size of the head, seizures and all kinds of mental disorders, for example, personality changes, manic ideas, can form.
If we talk about formations in the spinal cord, then they are characterized by complaints of unpleasant sensations in the back, which become more intense in the lying position and less strong in the sitting position.
In children, resistance is revealed when bending the body, a change in walking, scoliosis is revealed, the degree of sensitivity in the area of damage by cancerous tissues decreases. Also, a positive Babinsky sign is formed (a reflex reaction of extension of the big toe in case of irritation of the skin), impaired functioning of the sphincters, bladder or anus.
Wilms tumor
This formation is also called nephroblastoma and is a malignant tumor of the kidney. This type of cancer is most often encountered by children under the age of three. The disease affects one kidney, more rarely both. In most cases there are no complaints of malaise. Nephroblastoma is detected at random during a routine check-up. When palpating in the early stages, painful sensations are not formed. If we talk about the later stages, then in this case the asymmetry of the peritoneum is obvious due to the tumor, which squeezes the organs in the neighborhood. The baby's weight decreases, appetite disappears, fever and diarrhea are detected.
Neuroblastoma
This type of oncology can only be in children. In 85-91% of cases, this occurs before the age of five. Cancer can be found in the abdominal region, chest, cervical and pelvic regions, and often affects bone tissue.
Depending on the location, you should designate the signs that indicate the presence of neuroblastoma:
- discomfort in the bones, obvious lameness;
- weakness, fluctuations in body temperature, pale skin, extreme sweating;
- disruption of the intestines and bladder;
- swelling in the eyes, face, or neck.
The diagnosis can be made based on the results of a special analysis of blood, urine, puncture and ultrasound.
Retinoblastoma
This is a malignant formation that manifests itself near the tissues of the retina. Children under six years of age face this form of oncology. In a third of cases, both the right and left eyes are susceptible to malignant cells.
In the baby, he begins to blush and ache, strabismus forms. At the same time, a specific glow is evident in the eye area, which occurs due to an increase in the tumor behind a certain part of the eye. As a result, it is visible through the pupil. In some patients, this provokes an absolute loss of vision.
To detect retinoblastoma, an eye examination is performed under anesthesia. Additional diagnostic measures are X-ray examination, ultrasound, computed tomography, as well as a blood test and a puncture of the back.
Rhabdomyosarcoma
This is a malignant formation in the area of either muscle or connective tissue. Formed in children in infancy, preschool and school age. Rhabdomyosarcoma affects part of the head and cervical spine, more rarely - the urinary organs, limbs of the upper and lower order, even more rarely - the trunk.
Signs of rhabdomyosarcoma:
- the formation of a slight swelling of a high degree of pain;
- dysfunction of vision and changes in the size of the eyeball;
- the appearance of hoarseness in the voice and difficulty in swallowing (in the case when the formation is in the cervical spine);
- the urge to vomit, pain in the abdominal cavity and constipation (if the oncology has affected the peritoneum);
- the appearance of jaundice may be evidence of the presence of an ailment in the bile ducts.
According to research, about 60% of patients are cured.
Osteosarcoma
The most common disease of an oncological nature in the elongated and humerus bones, as well as the hips in adolescents.
The main manifestation of this type of cancer should be considered soreness in the affected bone cover, which becomes more active at night. At the initial stage, the pain can be identified as shorter. Obvious swelling is detected only after two to three weeks.
Read more: Causes, symptoms and treatment of osteosarcoma
An accurate diagnosis can be made on the basis of X-rays and computed tomography.
Ewing's sarcoma
This formation, like osteosarcoma, affects the bones of the arms and legs of the baby's tubular type. In certain cases, cancerous cells affect the area of the shoulder blades, ribs, or clavicle. Especially the presented form of the disease is common in children aged 11 to 16 years.
Signs that indicate the presence of a mass are similar to those that appear in osteosarcoma. But in this case, there is a significant increase in body temperature indicators, a loss in the weight index. In the later stages, sudden soreness and absolute paralysis are formed.
Read more: Causes, symptoms and treatments for Ewing's sarcoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Lymphogranulomatosis is a form of lymphatic tissue cancer. Most often it is formed in adolescents, that is, after 13-14 years.
In the presented form of oncology, symptoms are little or not observed at all. With Hodgkin's lymphoma, one or more painless lymph nodes may become enlarged and may disappear or re-form. In some children, itchy skin, active sweating, increased temperature and fatigue rate.
Cancer diagnosis in children
The problem of diagnosis arises due to the fact that the child's well-being may seem positive even at the later stages of the development of the disease. Formations are very often identified randomly as part of a preventive examination.
The final diagnosis in most cases can only be made after a biopsy. Based on its results, the variant of malignant formation is determined and the stage of the disease is identified. The selection of the method of treatment depends on this. With the formation of hematopoiesis in the organs, a bone marrow puncture should be considered a similar biopsy.
Cancer treatment in children
The treatment of malignant tumors in children is carried out by pediatric oncologists and oncohematologists. Such treatment is carried out in special oncology departments of large children's hospitals and research institutes.
After he was discharged from the hospital, the baby must undergo compulsory observation by a specialist in the children's department in one of the specialized dispensaries. In order to cure cancer of the organs of the hematopoietic type, pediatric specialists use exclusively conservative therapy - chemotherapy and radiation. All other types of cancer in children (called "solid tumors") are treated with surgery for additional purposes.
The current treatment is carried out according to international programs - treatment protocols that are worked out separately for each type of ailment. Even the slightest deviation from the protocols leads to a deterioration in the total achieved within the framework of the treatment. The possibility of an absolute cure is guaranteed by a high degree of sensitivity of formations in childhood to specific agents.
After the main course of treatment, patients need long-term therapy and rehabilitation, which is exclusively aimed at maintaining optimal health. At such moments, the entire responsibility for the health of the baby and caring for him is completely on the shoulders of the parents. The results of treatment depend on the thoroughness of the implementation of all the advice of a specialist.
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Therefore, it is imperative to be aware of all the symptoms that can accompany any form of childhood cancer and to follow each of the recommendations given by the specialist. This will be the key to recovery.
The author of the article: Bykov Evgeny Pavlovich | Oncologist, surgeon
Education: graduated from residency at the Russian Scientific Oncological Center. N. N. Blokhin "and received a diploma in the specialty" Oncologist"
