Cancer Information and Resources

HIV and AIDS are two of the illnesses that greatly alter a child’s life. It has been estimated, last 2009, that 2.5 children in the whole world under the age of 15 are infected with HIV. There is also an average of 370,000 new cases of HIV in children from that same year. These are the children that were born with HIV during that year. The total deaths of children under the age of 15 from AIDS last 2009 had an estimated number of 260,000. A rough estimation of 16.6 million children and adolescents under the age of 18 has lost one or both of their parents to AIDS. There are millions more that are affected by the disease.

AIDS-related illnesses are still one of the leading causes of mortality in the whole world. It has also been projected that these illnesses will still continue to be a cause of premature mortality globally in the coming decades. 90% of the total children who are affected with HIV are from Africa. The transmission to children occurs from being born to a mother who has been affected with the virus. As for the adults, the transmission is usually from heterosexual relationships that involve commercial and transactional sex, and also long-term relationships, including marriage. However, in other regions, HIV mostly affects injecting drug users, sex workers, and men who have intercourse with the men too.

HIV can also be transmitted to children through blood transfusions, injecting drugs and sexual transmission from sexual abuse.

HIV/AIDS can be prevented. For pregnant mothers who have HIV, antiretroviral drugs are administered to the mother before, during and to the baby after birth. Safety precautions are also done when it comes to feeding the baby because the virus can be transmitted through the breast milk. Blood safety is also promoted not only to children but to everyone who needs blood transfusion. Blood is carefully screened before it can become valid for blood transfusion. Meticulous hand washing, proper injecting processes, and proper disposal of needles are also done in order to prevent the spread of the virus. And lastly, HIV/AIDS education is the most effective intervention to prevent the further spread of the infection.

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Of all types of bone cancer, the most common among children is the osteosarcoma. The exact specific cause for this is unknown. However, researches show that this type of cancer arises from unpredictable and random DNA errors in the growing bone cells. This usually occurs during the times of intense bone growth.

The most at risk for this type of cancer are teenage boys, and researchers have found out that there is an added risk if the teenage boy is taller than average. There is still no effective way for the prevention of bone cancer in children. However, through early detection, proper diagnosis and timely treatment, children have a chance in recovering from it.

The most common symptom reported by children is pain on the leg and arm that worsens during exercise or at night. The most common sites for the pain are the long bones of the body – the femur and the humerus. It is important to have a consultation with a physician once a child has these kinds of symptoms for further evaluation.

Imaging tests are done in order to diagnose bone cancer. Examples of the tests to be done are X-ray and MRI of the affected area. Before the tests are done, there will be a physical exam and an interview about the patient’s and family’s medical history. A bone biopsy is also done in order to see if there is cancerous growth on the affected area. It is usually done by a surgeon inside the operating room while the child is under general anesthesia. If unfortunately the child is diagnosed to have bone cancer, additional tests such as CT scan and bone scan will be done in order to know if there has already been metastasis of the cancer cells to the other parts of the body.

Bone cancer is commonly treated by either limb-salvage surgery or amputation. Amputation is done if the cancer has already spread to the blood vessels and nerves that surround the tumor. Either way, the child must have a strong support from the family during this hard time of his life.

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Cancer of the brain is caused by the uncontrolled growth and multiplication of cells in the brain. In children, there are differences in the prognosis because there are some that can be easily cured through surgical means, while there are some that have a very poor outcome. Finding the best treatment for this type of cancer is confusing because of the differences in prognosis of each child.

The specific cause for the abnormal growth and multiplication of brain cells that causes cancer is yet to be known. The research about the cause of brain cancer shows that the possible causes can be the environmental and genetic factors.

The mass that has formed from the abnormal growth of cells presses the brain, and it can also cause blockage to the normal flow of the spinal fluid. This can result to hydrocephalus. There are a lot of symptoms that can develop and all of these symptoms point to the increase in intracranial pressure. The possible symptoms are seizures, vomiting, poor coordination, slurred speech, weakness of the body or the extremities, difficulty standing and headache. For babies, since their fontanels are not yet closed, the blockage of the normal flow of the spinal fluid can cause a rapid enlargement of the head.

Tests are done in order to diagnose brain cancer in children. If the child indeed has cancer, imaging studies will probably show a brain tumor. More or less the next step towards curing the child is surgery. The tumor that will be removed from the brain will undergo biopsy in order to classify and grade it.

For children who have survived the cancer through surgical procedures, there may be possible problems after. There may be delay in cognitive learning, seizures, growth abnormalities, visual and hearing problems, and hormone deficiencies. There is also the possibility of developing a secondary tumor. Because of these late effects of cancer, a child needs all the understanding and care that a parent can give. Children need support from those people who are around him or her.
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Cancer is a type of illness that is not age-specific. However, there are types of cancers that are for a specific age group or gender only. When it comes to childhood cancer, even today, it is still considered rare. It is unlikely that children will develop cancer at a young age. But as a parent, you should be aware of the symptoms that may possibly indicate cancer. Early detection is very important because the chances for curing the illness are higher if it is detected early.

One of the common symptoms that children may experience is early morning headaches that are accompanied with vomiting. Immediately bring the child to a physician if the headache persists for more than seven days. This is quite alarming because brain tumors often manifest through this symptom, together with other symptoms such as difficulty in walking, seizures and sudden personality changes.

If the child is experiencing muscle pain or bone pain that is not caused by any other injury, observe the symptom. If the pain does not decrease In a few weeks, consult a physician for further evaluation. You should also be aware that it is not common for children to have chronic back pain. Spinal cord tumors often have chronic back pain as an early symptom.

Another symptom that a child may experience is persistent cough. The cough may not be responding to the therapies and medications that you administer. An enlarging mass from any part of the body is definitely a symptom that can cause alarm. It should be immediately be checked by a medical professional. Tests may be given to see if the mass is benign or malignant.

There is only a small chance that these symptoms mean that your child has cancer. However, we should not take the risk by just ignoring it. It is good to be sure of the origins of the symptoms that your child experiences. Detecting illnesses early is indeed a better path than taking the consequences that an illness can bring you and your family.
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Of all the types of cancer, skin cancer is considered as the most common. In general, cancer occurs when normal cells grow and multiply uncontrollably. There are three types of skin cancer – basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Just like any other cancer, the initial manifestation of skin cancer is a precancerous lesion.

The most frequent cause of skin cancer is the constant exposure to the sun. The sun itself is not the cause of cancer, but the Ultraviolet Light from it.  However, there are also other causes of skin cancer such as the excessive use of tanning booths, impairment of the immune system, exposure to chemicals that can cause cancer and the contact with high levels of x-ray.

Not all people have equal risks of having skin cancer. The ones who have higher risks are people with fair skin. This is because there is less melanin in their skins – melanin serves as our protections too. Melanin depletion due to other illnesses can also be a factor for being at risk of having skin cancer. These are conditions such as xeroderma pigementosum and albinism. Another risk factor is having numerous large moles since birth. If you have had at least once episode of severe sunburn in your life, consider yourself at risk. Lastly, genetics can also put you at risk. If one of your family members has already had skin cancer, your risk is increased.

The best thing that a person can do is prevention. You can prevent skin cancer by doing simple things. First, you avoid exposure to the sun from 10am to 2pm. These are the times when the rays from the sun are intense. Always remember to apply sun block. This can help in protecting your skin form the harmful UV rays. Avoid artificial tanning booths as much as possible – this is not healthy for you.

These are just simple things that you can do to save yourself from having skin cancer. Knowing the preventive measures and practicing it is better than enduring the treatments that you will receive in order to fight skin cancer.

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People today are more aware that cancer is a disease that should never be taken for granted. This is why a lot of government and private institutions that have their researches about cancer.

One of the areas of cancer research is its early detection. Early detection of cancer can help in increasing the chance of slowing down its progression. Scientists are researching on the other different ways of detecting cancer such as through a person’s saliva, blood, or urine. There are some that are currently developing tests that can do this.

Another area that scientists are researching is the cancer stem cells. There has been studies that shown the difference between all the cancer cells. It has shown that there are cancer stem cells that stimulate the growth of tumors which are resistant to the conventional treatment. The researches focus on ways to target these kinds of cells in order to prevent the recurrence of cancer.

Cell division is also another area of cancer research. A normal cell replicates when the brain tells it to do so. The body has its own mechanisms that prevent the replication of cells at inappropriate times or rates. However, when there is cancer, these mechanisms do not work. The researches made by the scientists focus mainly on how these mechanisms failed in cancer cells.

Each cell has a programmed life.There is a scheduled time for the death of each cell, or more commonly known as apoptosis. Researches focus on reactivating this process on cancer cells so that they will be completely destroyed. This is because cancer cells do not undergo the process of apoptosis.

The metastasis of cancer cells is another problem that needs further research. Metastasis is considered as a hallmark sign of the most lethal cancers. The research focuses on the comparison of the movements of normal cells and cancer cells. In this way, we can now predict how the cancer cells migrate from the original tumor and travel to different areas in the body.