First Symptoms of Cancer in Kids
Child cancer sounds like a sentence. It cannot be prevented, but you can only try to diagnose it as early as possible.
The younger the organism, the faster the tumor develops. And the reaction to it should be lightning fast – this determines the success of the treatment.
What for?
This question is surely asked by the parents of a sick child, but there is no answer.
Babies do not smoke, do not drink, do not work in harmful industries. Nevertheless, each year about 450 kids get a tumor of the central nervous system (including the brain). These diseases rank second in frequency after malignant diseases of the blood and lymphatic system.
Cancer analysis
Usually, parents are wary of the doctor’s question of whether there have been cases of cancer in the family. This is not a hereditary disease, but it develops for unknown reasons. There should be some reasons, but science has not yet established them. However, physicians already know several genetic syndromes associated with the gene breakdown, carrying the potential risk of oncology development. But this is only a risk, and it is a big question whether it may be realized.
Is it possible to protect yourself?
Unfortunately, no. Despite the fact that the issue of oncology prevention has long been discussed by the global medical community. Methods of prevention are being sought, but have not yet been found. An exception is perhaps cancer of the cervix. Today, this is the only oncological disease, the development of which can be prevented. Vaccination acts as a preventive measure when it is done to girls from the age of 12.
But with tumors of the central nervous system, there is only one way out – they should be diagnosed in time. Parents should be the first to sound the alarm because this cancer has certain symptoms that can alert them.
The first symptoms of the central nervous system cancer
Oncologists have long been talking about the so-called oncological danger. Both parents and doctors should know the simple symptoms that make it possible to suspect a malignant tumor.
In 80% of cases, tumors of the central nervous system are manifested in the form of headaches and vomiting. With these symptoms, the child is often treated by a gastroenterologist, then a pediatrician. Unfortunately, the tumor of the brain is thought to be the last possible thing to happen. Meanwhile, if the child has a headache and vomits in the morning, it is an alarming symptom and the reason to be alerted.
The second disturbing symptom changes in the gait. Parents are angry that the child walks like a drunken man and believe that the child is just kidding. The kid may repeatedly stumble when walking, although he/she has long learned to walk. Do not rush to blame him for being foolish, it’s best to turn to the doctor.
Still, the main symptom and the critical one is the decrease in vision. Again, it is impossible not to notice this, and the main thing is to correctly interpret the child’s complaints about his seeing badly. The vision could have deteriorated because of sitting at the computer. Or because of the development of a brain tumor.
All these symptoms are a good reason to turn to a pediatrician, an oculist, and a neurologist.
It is most difficult to identify oncology in very young children. They do not complain, they do not know how to say what bothers them. In addition, the bones of the skull are still soft, and when the head increases in size, the symptoms are absent. Therefore, an excessive increase in the size of the head requires some examination for the presence of a brain tumor. This is why pediatricians regularly measure these parameters.
Do not flee from problems
Parents feel that something is going wrong with the child, but they are afraid to confirm their suspicions, and therefore do not rush to the doctors.
Some of them prefer to go to osteopaths and various sorcerers, and when they eventually get to the needed doctor, it often turns out that the time has been lost. Over the past 20 years, there has been significant progress in the treatment of cancer in the world; modern technologies are used. The main thing is to start the treatment in time.
By the way
What methods are used in the treatment of brain tumors today? This is neurosurgery, which allows to diagnose and examine the tumor. Radiation therapy, which allows preserving the child’s intellect, memory, and development. Finally, there is a diverse range of chemotherapeutic drugs: from standard to high doses of cytostatics, including targeted drugs – monoclonal antibodies. Besides, there are additional methods of treatment – immunotherapy, which is developing in separate histological versions. Other kinds of specific therapy can be mentioned, such as stereotoxic radiosurgery, a method of radiation therapy, which affects specifically the tumor.
