Childhood Cancer
- Debbie Kerr
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 29
The words childhood and cancer should never be in the same sentence, let alone beside each other. A diagnosis of cancer in an adult is difficult, but associate that word with a child, and it’s unimaginable, heartbreaking, and unfair. Words just don’t do it justice.
Most of us know adults who have been diagnosed with cancer, but for many of us, childhood cancer has not touched our lives. We don’t think about it. It’s only once our child or the child of someone we know is diagnosed with cancer that we think about it and donate funds to help find a cure. The problem is, research takes time, and it is better to have that cure BEFORE a diagnosis.
Not so fun facts about childhood cancer
Sources for the following statistics include Alberta Health Services, Cancer Care Alberta, Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, Cancer in Young People in Canada Program, World Health Organization, and Childhood Cancer International.
Cancer is the number one disease that kills children. This is true for both Canada and the United States.
Childhood cancer occurs randomly. The possible causes of most childhood cancers are still unknown.
The incidence of childhood cancer is highest in the first five years of life.
Children under four are twice as likely to be newly diagnosed than children ages five to 14.
Among infants, zero to one year old, some of the most common malignant cancers are neuroblastomas, leukemias and central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) tumours.
Advances in cancer research and treatments have significantly improved the chances of survival to nearly 84 percent for children in well-developed countries like Canada. In low- and medium-income countries, the survival rate is less than 30 per cent, because early diagnosis and treatment options are limited to non-existent.
Two-thirds of children who survive cancer live with permanent side effects, for example, deafness, blindness, growth issues, motor impairments, cognitive difficulties, organ failure, heart, kidney and fertility issues, psychological, neurological and endocrine disorders.
Certain high-risk cancers still have relatively low survival rates (between seven and 31 percent), even when a child has been classified as a survivor (lived 5 years since a cancer diagnosis).
Some of the most common childhood cancers
Here are some details from the American Cancer Society’s website.
Neuroblastomas – Most common cancer in babies and children under five
A cancer of neuroblasts (immature nerve cells).
Can develop even before birth and be detected during an ultrasound.
Most neuroblastomas are located in the adrenal glands, which are located at the top of each kidney, but can be found in the spine, stomach, chest and neck.
Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a bone marrow transplant. In some cases, no treatment is needed.
Leukemia - Most common cancer in children and teens (ages five to 19)
A blood cancer, which means that different types of blood cells start to grow out of control. They can start in the bone marrow, where new blood cells are made, or in the lymphatic system, which helps the body fight infections.
Symptoms include easy bruising or bleeding, bone or joint pain and a swollen abdomen.
There are many types of leukemia. The most common leukemia in children is usually treated with chemotherapy, while higher risk leukemias could be treated with high-dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant.
Brain and spinal cord tumours – Second most common cancer in children and teens
There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumours and the treatments and outcomes vary by type.
In children, most brain tumours start in the parts of the brain that control movement, balance, and some cognitive/mental functions. The other location for cancer is in the brain stem, which connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls many bodily functions.
Additional resources
These sites are valuable on their own, but they also provide a long list of additional resources.
Real-life stories
It’s one thing to know the clinical aspects of childhood cancer, but it’s the children themselves who drive home the impact of their diagnosis and treatments on the child and on their families. The following are some examples of those stories:
Sloane’s Story (Strong Like Sloane) - Neuroblastoma
Marky’s Story – Leukemia
Owen’s Story – Brain and spinal cord tumours
There are also stories about Nori, Hendrix, Sam, Wynn, Iris, and Hallie-Lynn in the “About” section of the Great Cycle Challenge website, which is a fundraising activity for childhood cancer.
Cancer research and funding
Childhood cancer is rare, which is good, because no one wants a child to be diagnosed with cancer; however, that rarity is also a problem. Most of the funding for cancer research goes toward more common cancers that are found in adults. In fact, of all the money raised for cancer research, less than 10 percent (on some websites, as low as 4 percent) of those funds go toward cancer research that will help patients under the age of 19.
To help resolve this funding issue, there are fundraising events that are specifically for childhood cancer. In 2016, the Great Cycle Challenge became one of those events. Their site states, “In 9 years, our community of riders from all 13 provinces and territories have ridden a total of 27,961,719 kilometres, and together we raised $54,249,870 in support of research to develop treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer.”
Martin Durocher, a former co-worker, introduced me to the Great Cycle Challenge and his efforts to raise funds over the last seven years. In that time, he has ridden 3,140 km and raised over $23,000. This year he plans to ride 650 km and is still looking for donations. If you want to make a difference, you can follow this link and select the Donate Now button. It’s that easy.
The information in this post is for general education and is only an overview. It does not replace medical advice.
Comments