Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in children

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in children and the second leading cause of death overall. The first would be an accident. The National Cancer Institute (Inca) estimates that in the three-year period 2023/2025, 7,930 new cases of cancer will occur each year in children and young people from 0 to 19 years of age. Today (15), International Day for the Fight against Childhood Cancer, the pediatric oncologist at Inca Sima Ferman, head of the Pediatrics Section, recalled that currently the disease is highly curable. “This is the main information we have”, he said. In an interview with Agência Brasil, Sima stated that as the incidence of cancer has been increasing slowly over the years, it is starting to appear as an important cause of illness in children. not all are cured, the disease can actually have a percentage of infant mortality as well. The most recent data, from 2020, reveal that 2,280 deaths were recorded in children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years in Brazil. Among the most common types common childhood cancers are leukemia, lymphoma and tumors of the central nervous system. The doctor at Inca pointed out, however, that tumors in children are different from those that affect adults. “Adults have a lot of carcinoma, differentiated cell tumors”. of children are different. Although these three types are more frequent, there is a range of tumors, such as embryonic ones, which occur in the first years of life. Examples are those of the retina, kidney, sympathetic ganglion O. “These are tumors that occur more frequently in younger children. But they are all very differentiated and respond well to chemotherapy treatment, usually. This is the main information that we have to give on this very important day”, reiterated the expert. For the oncologist, the disease is very serious, but it has brought, over the years, hope for the search for life. There is a possibility of cure if the patient is diagnosed early and treated in specialized child care centers. Warning In high-income countries, between 80% and 85% of children affected by cancer can currently be cured. In Brazil, the percentage is lower and varies between regions, but has an average cure rate of 65%. “It’s less than in high-income countries because many children already arrive at treatment centers with very advanced signs.” Sima Ferman reaffirmed that early diagnosis is very important. On the other hand, she admitted that this diagnosis is often difficult, given that signs and symptoms resemble common childhood illnesses. Inca trains primary care health professionals to alert them to the importance of a deeper investigation, when there is a possibility that the symptom is not common and constitutes a more serious disease. Sima recalled that children do not invent symptoms. She stated that parents should always monitor the consultation and treatment of their children and pay attention to all complaints made by them, especially when they are very recurrent and remain for a while. “It’s important to be alert because it could be something more serious than a common illness.” Signs of tumors in children may be prolonged fever for more than seven days without an apparent cause, bone pain, anemia, purple spots on the body, headache that makes the child wake up at night, followed by vomiting, neurological changes such as loss of balance, masses in the body. “These are situations in which you need to be alert and that can lead to thinking about a disease like cancer”. For primary care health professionals, in particular, the doctor recommended that they should take the complaints of the parents and children seriously and monitor the minor throughout the entire period until the situation for which the child sought care is clarified. “And, if necessary, do more in-depth examinations and see if there is any disease that needs to be treated.” Individualization For each type of cancer, the oncologists at Inca seek to study the biology of the disease, in order to provide a treatment that may lead to a chance of cure, with fewer long-term effects. “To achieve this, we have to know specifically how the disease presented itself to the child and, often, the biological characteristics of the tumor. This will guide us on the treatment that offers more or less risk for this patient to be cured and move on with life”. In general, the treatment of childhood cancer takes between six months and two years, depending on the type of disease presented by the patient. After this period, the child is monitored, or “in control”, for five years. If the disease does not manifest itself again during these five years, the patient can be considered cured. “Each time, the chance of the disease coming back decreases more. The chance is higher in the first year, when the treatment ends, and it decreases more and more”, said the pediatric oncologist.

Agência Brasil