Symptoms of Cancer In Children

Not yet known exactly what causes cancer in children. Cancer that strikes infants from birth, the cause is suspected irregularities cell growth due to genetic defects in utero. In children greater, suspected triggers are environmental factors and children's food is not healthy. It could also be due to radiation or viral infection. Or a combination of genetic, environmental, radiation, and infection.

Cancer is most often found in children is a blood cancer or leukemia (25-30%), followed by retinoblastoma (cancer of the retina of the eye), lymphoma (lymph node cancer), neuroblastoma (nerve cancer), kidney cancer (Wilms tumor) , Rabdomiosarkoma (cancer of striated muscle), and osteosarcoma (bone cancer).

Just as in adults, childhood cancers are likely to be cured if found in early stages. But early detection of childhood cancer is not easy, because children can not understand and tell the symptoms are felt. Therefore the role of the people around him are very important in detecting the symptoms of cancer.

According to some sources, the symptoms of childhood cancer include:

a. Blood Cancer (Leukemia)
Symptoms to watch and often found in leukemia, among others, face pale, lethargic, weak, unexplained fever and are not cured by antibiotics, unexplained bleeding, bruising the surface of the skin appears blue-black but does not knock, limb pain (bone ), abdominal swelling / hard, enlarged lymph nodes.

b. Brain CancerSymptoms to watch out for are headaches, more and more severe, accompanied by nausea to vomiting due to pressure from the spray head is increased. Can also be accompanied by speech disturbances, visual disturbances, balance disturbances, convulsions, decreased consciousness, and even behavioral changes. The special feature in infants is top of his head stood out.

c. Retina Eye Cancer (Retinoblastoma)This cancer is most common in babies aged 6 months-2 years. Symptoms to look out for is the presence of white patches in the middle of the eye that seemed to shine when the light hit (like a cat's eye). Another symptom is vision impaired, squint suddenly, and at an advanced stage protruding eyeballs.

d. Lymph node cancer (malignant lymphoma)This cancer mostly strikes children aged 5-7 years. Symptoms to look out for is if there is a progressive swelling of lymph glands in the neck, armpit, and intestine, without the inflammation and pain. When you arise in the lymph nodes in the intestine, can cause blockage of the intestine with symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, unable to defecate, and fever. When grown in the chest area, can encourage or suppress the respiratory tract, so that patients experience shortness of breath and face turn blue. In addition, children appear weak, lethargic, and decreased appetite.

e. Nerve cancer (Neuroblastoma)Cancer sympathetic nerve can occur in various parts of the body. In children most often occur near the kidneys, in the waist area, in the neck or chest cavity, and eye. If there is in the eye area, can make protruding eyeballs, eyelids swollen and blue, or eyelids down, and dilated pupils. If there is in the spine, can press against the spinal cord and lead to rapid paralysis. The spread of the bone can cause fractures without cause, without pain, so people suddenly limp. Another symptom is emerging bumps on the head, or abdomen enlarged and hard.

f. Kidney Cancer (Nefroblastoma)Nefroblastoma often called Wilms tumor is most common in children aged 3-4 years, but can also attack the newborn. Symptoms are characterized by bloody urine, discomfort in the abdomen, and when old enough belly seemed enlarged and palpable hard.

g. Cancer muscle (Rabdomiosarkoma)This cancer can attack muscle anywhere, in children are usually in the head, neck, bladder, prostate, and vagina. Symptoms depend on location. In the cavity of the eye, can cause the eyes to bulge out, a lump in the eye. In the ear causes pain or bleeding from the ear hole. In the urinary tract cause urinary disorders. If the striated muscles of the limbs, causing swelling.

h. Bone Cancer (Osteosarcoma)Osteosarcoma usually affects children aged 10-20 years. Can attack any part of the bone, but the majority are found in the legs, arms, and hips. Usually marked pain and swelling of the bone. Sometimes preceded the crunch, such as a fall is not clear why.

If you find such symptoms mentioned above in infants and your children, consult your doctor immediately. The treatment is basically the same as adults, the combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and bone marrow transplantation.

Moderate prevention efforts that can be done is, pregnant mothers should avoid radiation, avoiding pollution and cigarette smoke, always eat healthy foods and avoid foods that contain additional chemicals, reduce the consumption of fat, and get the children to live healthy, eating healthy, protected from pollution.