Contents:
- Medical Video: This kid thinks he can counter Orton's RKO?!, only on WWE Network
- Differences in cancer in children and adults
- The types of cancer that often attack children
- Leukemia
- Retinoblastoma
- Lymphoma
- Neuroblastoma
- Brain tumor
- Wilms tumor
- Rabdomiosarkoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Treatment available
Medical Video: This kid thinks he can counter Orton's RKO?!, only on WWE Network
As a parent, children's health and happiness is certainly one of the priorities of life that cannot be compromised. However, sometimes there are many factors beyond your control that can threaten children's health. One of them is cancer. Cancer is indiscriminate, it can attack anyone at any age. In fact, the latest data from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) as reported by Tempo in 2015 showed that every year there were 4,100 new cases of cancer in children.
Differences in cancer in children and adults
Cancer that attacks children is usually different from cancer found in adults. If cancer in adults is generally triggered by unhealthy lifestyles and various environmental factors, cancer that often attacks children usually arises because children inherit changes in DNA structure from parents. This DNA change occurs in cells which will then develop into cancer cells. This can affect children, babies, and even babies who are still in the womb.
The types of cancer that often attack children
There are eight types of cancer that are most often found in children. Because cancer in children is generally not caused by behavior or lifestyle, until now the following types of cancer have not been prevented. However, parents can see various symptoms and make early detection of cancer in children.
Leukemia
The type of child cancer most often diagnosed is leukemia, which is a cancer that attacks the bone marrow and blood. Of all known childhood cancer cases, 30% are leukemia alone. Two types of leukemia that occur in children are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This type of cancer is characterized by bone and joint pain, bleeding, abdominal swelling, and fever for no apparent reason.
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is commonly known as eye cancer. Eye cancer usually appears in toddlers aged 2 years. This cancer is rarely found in children over 6 years. The initial symptoms of retinoblastoma are characterized by pupils that change color from black to white or pink and reduce the level of luster. The longer, the eyes will look squinted until it protrudes out in the later stages.
Lymphoma
Swollen lymph nodes that occur immediately need to be aware because this is one of the symptoms of lymphoma or cancer of the lymph nodes. Other signs are fever, decreased body weight, sweating, and in some cases vomiting and difficulty breathing. This cancer usually attacks children over the age of 5 years.
Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a nerve cancer that can attack various different places such as the neck, eyes, or stomach. Usually this cancer grows at the beginning of the formation of nerve cells in the fetus. That is why neuroblastoma attacks infants and toddlers while children over 10 are rarely diagnosed with this cancer. Symptoms of neuroblastoma vary, according to where the cancer cells live. If neuroblastoma occurs in the stomach, a palpable lump will appear. Meanwhile, neuroblastoma that appears in the eye will cause the eyelid to drop and the pupils to spread.
Brain tumor
This cancer is ranked second of all types of cancer found in children, which amounted to 26%. Brain tumors are found in different places, but usually begin in the cerebellum (cerebellum) and will attack the central nervous system. Signs to watch out for are nausea to vomiting, decreased awareness, and weakened body coordination.
Wilms tumor
Wilms tumor attacks one or both kidneys. This type of cancer is usually diagnosed in infants aged 3 to 4 years and is rarely found in children over 6 years. Symptoms that appear are swelling of the stomach, nausea, fever, or loss of appetite.
Rabdomiosarkoma
Muscle cancer or rabdomiosarkoma often appear in cells that will grow as skeletal muscles (skeletal muscle). In children, this cancer is commonly found in muscles in the head, neck, eyes, prostate, and vagina. Symptoms that arise depend on the location of the cancer cell but are usually characterized by pain and swelling.
Osteosarcoma
If the child's bones are painful and swollen, this can be a symptom of osteosarcoma or bone cancer. These cancer cells can grow on the bones of the legs, arms, pelvis, or ribs. Osteosarcoma is widely diagnosed in children who are almost in their teens, but does not rule out the possibility of smaller children getting this type of cancer.
Treatment available
For children diagnosed with cancer, the available treatment is basically the same as the treatment given to adults with cancer. The choice of treatment and treatment is influenced by several factors such as the stage and type of cancer. Usually in the early stages of cancer can still be operated on and removed so as not to spread. However, if it gets worse, chemotherapy or radiation therapy (radiotherapy) can help kill or slow the growth of cancer cells in the body.
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