Charlotte has Acute
Lymphoblastic Leukaemia the most common childhood cancer. Leukaemia (cancer of
the blood) as a whole equates to *31% of child cancer cases, with Brain &
Spinal tumours accounting for 25% (around 390 cases per year), its then quite a
drop to Lymphomas (cancer starting in the lymphatic system) at 10% (around 160
cases per year).
Britain has the lowest childhood cancer rate in Europe, and one of the lowest of all western industrialized countries. Australia and the US have some of the highest rates. The reasons for this are not clear.
Breakdown by type of cancer
Based on data provided by National Registry of Childhood Tumours
(http://www.ccrg.ox.ac.uk/datasets/registrations.htm)
Different types of childhood cancer are most common
at different ages.
Some types of cancer – including embryonal tumours (such as neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma and nephroblastoma) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) - occur most commonly in the under-fives. Others, such as bone tumours are very rare in younger children, increasing in incidence with age and peaking in adolescence.
Some types of cancer – including embryonal tumours (such as neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma and nephroblastoma) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) - occur most commonly in the under-fives. Others, such as bone tumours are very rare in younger children, increasing in incidence with age and peaking in adolescence.
Survival
rates
Survival rates for the 12 main diagnostic groups
vary between 96 per cent for retinoblastoma and 53 per cent for neuroblastoma. And within these main diagnostic groups,
survival rates vary even more. Some rare sub-types of cancer have survival
rates of zero.
Although Brain and Spinal tumours rank second in
incidence, they rank highest in terms of the number of deaths from cancer in childhood.
In the 10 years from 1995 to 2004, 1,115 children died as a result of CNS
tumours, just under a third of all childhood cancer deaths. And, yet I’ve read
somewhere else that the least is spent on it in research terms?
The Causes?
Despite
a wealth of research, much uncertainty remains over the causes of childhood
cancers.
Many different factors have been linked with the development of childhood cancer, with varying degrees of certainty.
Research is complicated by the fact that there are many different factors which may cause cancer in children. Exposure to more than one of these factors is probably necessary – and probably at different stages of a child’s life.
The relative rarity of childhood cancers further impedes research.
Leukaemia is better represented in research literature than other forms of cancer because it affects more children, making it easier to obtain meaningful results in epidemiological studies. International collaborations are important as they increase the number of cancer cases available for study.
Many different factors have been linked with the development of childhood cancer, with varying degrees of certainty.
Research is complicated by the fact that there are many different factors which may cause cancer in children. Exposure to more than one of these factors is probably necessary – and probably at different stages of a child’s life.
The relative rarity of childhood cancers further impedes research.
Leukaemia is better represented in research literature than other forms of cancer because it affects more children, making it easier to obtain meaningful results in epidemiological studies. International collaborations are important as they increase the number of cancer cases available for study.
Treatment
As well as finding new ways to treat those forms of
cancer which still have a poor outlook, a major challenge facing doctors today
is how to make treatments safer and minimise the risk of treatment-related harm
in young patients.
Most children diagnosed with cancer in the UK will immediately be referred to one of 21 hospitals that are specialist centres for treating children’s cancer.
Doctors at the specialist centre will confirm the diagnosis and plan the child’s treatment. Some of the later treatment may be given at the family’s local hospital under the guidance of the specialist centre – this is known as shared care.
There are three main ways of treating cancer:
Most children diagnosed with cancer in the UK will immediately be referred to one of 21 hospitals that are specialist centres for treating children’s cancer.
Doctors at the specialist centre will confirm the diagnosis and plan the child’s treatment. Some of the later treatment may be given at the family’s local hospital under the guidance of the specialist centre – this is known as shared care.
There are three main ways of treating cancer:
Solid
tumours can be cut out during an operation (surgery)
Cancer
cells can be killed with drugs (chemotherapy)
Cancer
cells can be killed by radiation (radiotherapy)
Often a combination of these treatments is used.
Clinical
trials
Many children have their treatment as part of a clinical research trial.
Trials aim to improve our understanding of the best way to treat childhood cancers – they usually compare the standard treatment with a new or modified version of the standard treatment. Information gathered from successive trials has been one of the most important factors in the increasing survival rates for childhood cancer.
Taking part in a clinical trial is entirely voluntary; the medical team will provide detailed information and you will be given plenty of time to decide whether it is right for your child. Children who do not take part will receive the current standard treatment.
Many children have their treatment as part of a clinical research trial.
Trials aim to improve our understanding of the best way to treat childhood cancers – they usually compare the standard treatment with a new or modified version of the standard treatment. Information gathered from successive trials has been one of the most important factors in the increasing survival rates for childhood cancer.
Taking part in a clinical trial is entirely voluntary; the medical team will provide detailed information and you will be given plenty of time to decide whether it is right for your child. Children who do not take part will receive the current standard treatment.
Side
effects and complications
Treatments for cancer involve high doses of toxic drugs and/or radiation. These therapies are effective in killing the deadly cancerous cells but unfortunately they can also damage normal, healthy cells, putting the child at risk of harmful side-effects.
Short-term side effects such as hair loss, nausea and anaemia are common but temporary problems. With good supportive care, they can be kept to a minimum.
But some children may experience more serious long-term effects, which persist for months or years after treatment, or ‘late’ effects which do not develop or become apparent until years after treatment ends. The risk of these effects varies from child to child, depending on the treatments used and the age and developmental stage of the child.
A major consideration in the development of new treatments is how to minimise the risk of harmful effects.
Treatments for cancer involve high doses of toxic drugs and/or radiation. These therapies are effective in killing the deadly cancerous cells but unfortunately they can also damage normal, healthy cells, putting the child at risk of harmful side-effects.
Short-term side effects such as hair loss, nausea and anaemia are common but temporary problems. With good supportive care, they can be kept to a minimum.
But some children may experience more serious long-term effects, which persist for months or years after treatment, or ‘late’ effects which do not develop or become apparent until years after treatment ends. The risk of these effects varies from child to child, depending on the treatments used and the age and developmental stage of the child.
A major consideration in the development of new treatments is how to minimise the risk of harmful effects.
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