Knowledge centre
Childhood cancer
Cancers in children are uncommon, and families rarely cause them through diet or routine life. The useful public step is to recognise warning signs and reach a hospital that treats children with cancer.
Risk factors
- Most childhood cancers do not have a known lifestyle cause
- A few are linked to inherited conditions or to previous radiotherapy
- Nothing a parent did in ordinary daily life should be assumed to be the cause
Prevention
- There is no reliable home prevention step for most childhood cancers
- Hepatitis B vaccination prevents one future cause of liver cancer
- Know the warning signs and do not delay a medical review
Early signs
- A lump in the abdomen, neck, chest, armpit, or pelvis
- Unexplained fever, paleness, tiredness, or easy bruising and bleeding
- Persistent bone or joint pain, or a limp
- Headaches that are worse in the morning, with vomiting
- A white reflection in the pupil, sudden eye changes, or unexplained weight loss
Screening
There is no blood test to screen healthy children for cancer. Care starts when a warning sign is present.
If a symptom continues, ask for a review. A second visit is reasonable when a child is not improving as expected.
Treatment overview
Children should be treated by a team used to paediatric oncology. Cure rates for several childhood cancers are high when treatment starts at a prepared centre. Families should be told the diagnosis in plain language.
Survivorship
Many survivors need long-term follow-up for growth, heart, kidney, fertility, learning, and second cancers. School and family support are part of treatment, not a separate luxury.