One of the most common childhood cancers is Leukemia, cancer of the bone marrow and blood, Leukemia alone accounts for about 28% of all cancers in children.

Leukemia is group of cancer cells that originate in leukocytes or the WBC  that originate in bone marrow. WBC helps in fighting diseases. A disturbance in normal WBC production causes multiplication of immature or damaged WBCs resulting in cancer. The most common types in children are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Symptoms of leukemias are: bone and joint pain, fatigue, weakness, pale skin, bleeding or bruising, fever, weight loss etc.

As soon as detected leukemia should be treated typically with chemotherapy. Immunotherapy, bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.  

Brain and spinal cord tumors

Brain and spinal cord tumors make tup to 26% of cancer in children and is the second most common cancers in children. Spinal card tumor is less common than brain tumor. Types of brain and spine tumors are: gliomas, glioblastoma, lymphomas, pituitary and other tumors of brain, skull-base and spine tumors

Generally in children brain tumor starts at lower part of brain – cerebellum (brain stem). Symptoms include :  headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred or double vision, dizziness, seizures, trouble walking or handling objects, and other symptoms.

The main concerns in this type of cancer is: how fast it grows, how readily it spreads to other part of brain and spinal cord, how it will be removed and treated so that the tumor does not grow back. Based on the type, location, child’s age and health and size of tumor surgeons will decide how to treat the child.

Image by bess.hamiti@gmail.com from Pixabay