- According to the WHO, 300,000 new cases of tumors in minors are detected each year.
- In general, the chances of curing a tumor are greater in girls and boys than in adults.
- World Childhood Cancer Day is commemorated every February 15.
Some people have the misconception that tumors are exclusive to adults, but this is not the case. In fact, everyone is exposed and sometimes this problem can start at a very early age. With this in mind, the Childhood cancer has become one of the leading causes of mortality in minors worldwide.
Just to get an idea of this situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that each year 300,000 minors are diagnosed with some type of neoplasia. The figure is quite high and the most alarming thing is that many of the patients develop discomfort that lasts for the rest of their lives.
According to the health agency, in high-income countries more than 80 percent of childhood cancer cases are cured. By contrast, in low- and middle-income nations the cure rate is about 20 percent.
For its part, most cases of cancer in adults are caused by risk factors that can be prevented. On the other hand, when it comes to minors the situation is quite different. To date, the origin of this disease in pediatric patients is not known with certainty, although on some occasions it is a genetic problem.
Current panorama of childhood cancer in Mexico
According to the Ministry of Health (SSa), between 50 and 60 percent of pediatric patients manage to overcome the disease. This figure is higher than the average in Latin America, where it barely reaches 30 percent, according to data from the National Center for Child and Adolescent Health (Censia) of the Ministry of Health.
In general, the chances of cure are greater in girls and boys than in adults, since 50 percent of cases during childhood are due to acute lymphoblastic leukemiaa type of cancer with a high chance of being cured because it is less aggressive.
When it comes to leukemias, up to 80 percent of pediatric patients survive the disease due to treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as the response of your immune system.
Of every 100 cases of cancer in all ages, three are girls or boys. Seven thousand new patients with this disease are registered every year, which is the second cause of death because there is no way to prevent it or screening tests that help detect or prevent it, as occurs in adults.
How to detect childhood cancer?
Although there are specific tests, there are various warning signs that may indicate that a child has a tumor.
- Fever without apparent cause.
- Frequent nose or gum bleeding when brushing teeth.
- Red or purple spots on the skin.
- Bruises without apparent cause.
- Widespread bone and joint pain.
- vomiting
- Small balls (ganglia) somewhere in the body.
- Enlargement of the liver and/or spleen.
- Progressive paleness, fatigue, tiredness or apathy without apparent cause.
- Loss of appetite.
- Profuse sweating.
- Sudden changes in vision or eyes.
On the other hand, the document Childhood Cancer in Mexico: Current Situation and Challenges of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) mentions that the leukemia It is the most common type in infants because it represents 51 percent of all cases. While later are the lymphomas and reticuloendothelial with 12.7 percent and the Central Nervous System, intracranial and intraspinal tumors with 9 percent.
Also read:
Childhood cancer: Main symptoms that patients develop
Mexico has the best clinic for survivors of childhood cancer, leader in Latam
PAHO opens a free medical course to detect childhood cancer