Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the cure rate for childhood cancer risen so much further and faster than the cure rate for adult cancers?
For the past 40 years, childhood cancer research-physicians have worked cooperatively at institutions throughout North America, setting up clinical trials, and collectively studying the results. During that time, the cure rate has risen from almost zero to well over 75% for children with cancer.
Adults are usually treated at individual institutions and are rarely enrolled in clinical trials, and so the research results have been less dramatic. However, new treatment techniques resulting from childhood cancer research often have application for adult cancer patients. For example, chemotherapy was first used on children with cancer.
What causes childhood cancer?
Little is really known about what causes each of the various types of childhood cancer. Research so far as not been able to tell us why certain children develop cancer and others don’t.
What is known is that chromosome disorders account for most leukemias. High levels of exposure to radiation, such as the use of X-rays during pregnancy have been linked with one or more childhood cancers. And children with Down Syndrome are known to be at higher risk of developing leukemia.
Other possible risk factors for childhood cancer may include parents’ diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption before the child was conceived, as well as infectious diseases, such as Epstein-Barr virus in Hodgkin disease. However, while environmental causes have long been suspected, it has been difficult for researchers to prove these theories with valid statistics.
Are there early warning signs for childhood cancer?
There are no obvious or simple signs to watch for in your child or teenager. Symptoms of childhood cancer depend on the type of cancer the child has. For example, they may have frequent bruising (leukemia), pain in the arms or legs (bone cancer), a swollen abdomen (neuroblastoma), dizziness or seizures (brain tumor), or many other groups of symptoms which make it difficult for anyone but a pediatric oncologist to make the diagnosis.
Can I "catch" cancer?
No, you have nothing to fear from associating with young people being treated for cancer, and most will enjoy being with you and need your support. However, you may pose a danger for them. Some patients have to avoid your company or wear a mask in your presence so that they do not catch something from you if their cancer treatments have lowered their immunity.
How can childhood cancer be prevented?
Adults are told to avoid smoking, radiation, sunburn, eating fatty foods, etc., in order to prevent some forms of cancer. With children, prevention is less an issue, because sometimes the child develops cancer in the first few months or years of life. Also, very little is currently known about what causes childhood cancer. The major causes seem to be chromosomal and genetic abnormalities. Research so far has statistically proved very few instances of possible environmental causes for childhood cancer, but the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) continues to conduct epidemiology, cytogenetic, and microbiology studies in their quest for answers.
What is “Teen Gap”?
There is a “gap” in the medical care teenagers with cancer are receiving, because sometimes adolescents with cancer are cared for by physicians who usually treat adults with cancer. Teens usually have a better chance of survival if they were treated by specialists in childhood cancer. Teenagers like to think of themselves as adults, not children, but the one time they need to be treated like children is when they have cancer and are choosing a physician to treat them.
Back to FAQs
What are my child’s chances of surviving cancer?
The survival rates depend on several factors: the type of cancer your child has, the stage of the cancer when your child was diagnosed, and your child’s response to treatment. Overall, survival statistics are currently well over 77%, and over 85% for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. And those number keep rising every year. The goal of the Children’s Oncology Group is to reach an 85% overall survival rate by the year 2009. Your own pediatric oncologist will discuss with you the specifics of your child’s case.
My friend’s child has cancer: what can I do to help?
Be a good listener; offer specific forms of help such as babysitting, cooking, or housecleaning; keep checking back and offering your support to show the family they are not forgotten, because cancer treatments go on for many months. Find more ways to help.
Back to FAQs
