Increasing cancer in children around the world
Tabinda Salman
Hello All,
Cancer cases are increasing rapidly around the world. According to the statistics by 2020, cancer cases have increased up to 18.1 million. Cancer is simply explained as the abnormal growth of the cell, but it is not at all simple, rather it is the most dangerous and the leading cause of death on our planet.
Cancer in children
In recent studies, it has been estimated that approximately 400,000 children and adolescents from 1 year to 19 years develop cancer. The 5-year survival rate for children from 1 to 14 years old is 91% and the 5-year survival rate for children from 15 to 19 years is 75%. The most common type of cancer in children is Leukemias. It is a cancer of white blood cells. Children diagnosed with acute leukemia, who remain free from the disease after five years are considered “cured” because it is rare for acute leukemia to recur after this amount of time.
What happens during Leukemias?
Leukemia is related to white blood cells. In the bone marrow, the white blood cells grow abnormally. These white blood cells travel through the bloodstream and crowd the healthy cells. Children with leukemia have high white blood cell counts, but these white blood cells don’t protect them against infection. However, this might leads to:
· Infections can occur because of a shortage of normal white blood cells. Children having leukemia get infections easily and they persist. This also leads to getting one infection after another.
· Fever is the main sign of infection. But in some cases, the children might have a fever, but they do not have an infection.
Types of Leukemia
Leukemia is categorized into two types
· Based on how fast this leukemia develops and it gets worse.
· Based on which type of blood cell is involved (usually myeloid or lymphoid)
Categories of Leukemia
The types of leukemia are put into two categories, which are:
· Acute leukemia happens when most of the abnormal blood cells stay immature and can’t carry out normal functions. It can get bad very fast.
· Chronic leukemia happens when there are some immature cells. Some cells are normal.
Most childhood leukemias are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Most of the remaining cases are acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Chronic leukemias are rare in children.
Causes of Leukemia
No one knows exactly what causes leukemia. It is assumed that leukemia is caused due to the presence of abnormal chromosomes, but it is researched that chromosomes don’t cause leukemia. Certain things in our environment trigger the development of leukemia such as, for example, if you are a smoker, you are more prone to some types of leukemia than a non-smoker. It is estimated by specialists that around 10% of all leukemia cases are caused by cigarette smoking. It is also associated with a high amount of radiation and chemical exposure. When a person undergoes chemo or radiation therapy to treat some other type of cancer, it can cause leukemia. It can be said that the higher the radiation dose the patient is exposed to, the higher would be the risk of getting leukemia.
Treatment Options for Leukemia
Treatment of the disease depends on a range of factors. Treatment can include:
Common treatments used to fight leukemia include:
· Chemotherapy
The major treatment of cancer is done by Chemotherapy. It is also one of the most common types of treatment options for leukemia. Chemotherapy involves the use of certain chemicals to kill leukemia cells. Chemotherapy can be done with the help of a single drug or the use of a combination of drugs. These drugs may be pills or injections, which is given directly into a vein.
· Biological therapy
Biological therapy for the treatment of leukemia works with the help of the immune system. The immune cells recognize and attack the leukemia cells.
· Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs that attack the cancer cells specifically. This can help control the disease.
· Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy Is a treatment method that uses X-rays or other high-energy beams to damage leukemia cells, and it also helps to stop their growth. Radiation therapy is performed in such a way that the patient is allowed to lie on a table and a large machine moves around the patient. This process directs the radiation to the precise points on the body. These radiations attack where there is a collection of leukemia cells.
· Stem cell transplant
A stem cell transplant is an advanced form of treatment for leukemia. During the process, the diseased bone marrow is replaced with the healthy bone marrow. Before a patient undergoes a stem cell transplant, they receive high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy which helps to destroy the diseased bone marrow. Then an infusion of blood-forming stem cells is introduced, that help to rebuild the bone marrow. Stem cells can be taken from a donor or patients’ own stem cells can also be used. This process is similar to a bone marrow transplant.
Treatment can last several months or years depending on the type and severity of the condition. The good news is that early detection and the latest treatment options help to increase the survival rate for many childhood cancers. There is also some sort of different types of rare forms of cancer in children which become very challenging to be understood, detected, or diagnosed. Cancers in children are hard to comprehend because early symptoms are often the same as those caused by other common illnesses or injuries. However, in the recent past, some remarkable research has taken place through international collaboration, which shows some promising knowledge and expertise to accelerate progress in childhood cancer research and its treatment.
On behalf of NAYS-Pakistan, we want to share this message that caring for the children helps them in their fight with cancer. If we talk about Childhood cancer, it’s a fact that it is very different from adult cancer. We need to focus more on life-saving childhood cancer research to find better treatments with fewer side effects for children and young people diagnosed with cancer.
Article: Ms. Sundeela Fayyaz
Best Regards,
Chief coordinator
National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS) Pakistan,