13 Feb Types of childhood cancer
Acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia contribute to 30% of childhood cancer types. These two forms are characterized by abnormal proliferation of leukocytes and a decrease in normal blood cells. As symptoms it causes bone and joint pain, fatigue, weakness, pale skin, bleeding, fever and weight loss. Its progression is quite rapid and therefore chemotherapy is usually started relatively quickly (4).
Brain and spinal cord tumours are the next most common category in children and are responsible for about 26% of paediatric cancers. Tumour formation in the central nervous system starts in the lower parts of the brain and is responsible for headaches, nausea, vomiting, vision problems, dizziness, balance and gait problems (4).
Worldwide, 400 000 children and adolescents aged 0-19 years are diagnosed with cancer each year. In Europe 35,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer for the first time, namely 15,000 children under 15 years of age and 20,000 children aged 14-24 years (1). At the same time, the annual mortality rate in Europe reveals that more than 6 000 children die from cancer. In Greece, 350 children up to 15 years old each year become ill (5). Of course, there are more than 300,000 children saved and by 2020 there will be close to half a million (6). Still, statistics may show that 1 in 300 newborns will develop cancer before the age of 20 years, but thanks to available multidisciplinary treatments, 80% of children are diagnosed disease-free 5 years after diagnosis (1).