Conquering Childhood Cancer
This live blog accompanies a tweet chat on childhood cancer attended by organizations, experts, doctors, clinicians and parents interested in learning more about how to conquer this disease.
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Cancer is never an easy diagnosis but it is an especially hard blow when given to a child. Cancer is the leading cause of childhood death in the United States, with 13,500 new diagnoses each year according to the American Cancer Institute. One out of every 300 boys and one out of every 333 girls will develop cancer before their 20th birthday, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.As part of ABC Health's focus on children this month, we're holding a tweet chat today at 1 p.m., ET, on conquering childhood cancer. The chat is moderated by Dr. Richard Besser, our chief health and medical correspondent and we'll have researchers, clinicians and loved ones of cancer patients from all over the country tweeting their thoughts about this topic.
You can join in on the chat or simply follow along to learn all the facts about childhood cancer.
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Cause for Hope in the Fight Against Cancer: abcnews.go.com
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Why is childhood cancer so different?
• The cancers that strike kids—and there are many—are different from adult cancers:
• Childhood cancers are not related to lifestyle factors, and little can be done to prevent them.
• Some cancers almost never strike after the age of 5; others occur most often in teenagers. Even when kids get cancers that adults get—like lymphoma—they must be treated differently. Children are not simply smaller adults!
• Many adult cancers can be diagnosed early. In 80% of kids, cancer has already spread to other areas of the body by the time it is diagnosed. -
Treating Kids' Cancer With Science And A Pocket Full Of Hope n.pr/14ISeKY #ChildhoodCancer #abcDrBchat #hopeby Chemo Bites via twitter 9/24/2013 5:16:38 PM -
Follow #abcdrbchat for an informative discussion on #childhoodcancer . Be aware! http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BU8Ym8hCIAAjDBc.jpg
by hopeonwheels via twitter 9/24/2013 5:16:49 PM -
Parents great at noticing when something's wrong. It takes a little while to figure out what. Several doctor appt are normal. #abcDrBchatby Chemo Cheerleader via twitter 9/24/2013 5:17:14 PM -
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• There are over a dozen types of childhood cancers, and countless subtypes, making it more challenging for researchers to find cures for every kid.
• But even for kids who survive, the battle is not over. Because of the treatments they had as kids, by the time they’re 45, more than 95% of survivors will have a chronic health problem and 80% will have severe or life-threatening conditions.
• So in addition to finding cures, a lot of research is focused on preventing the lifelong damage that results from surgeries, radiation and chemotherapies given while young bodies and brains are just developing.
• Even during treatment, kids face all kinds of side effects, some very uncomfortable, others life-threatening. -
#abcdrbchat T2 some unusual presentations from the trenches - Brain tumor--persistent head banging in infant...change in personality teenby bethnearymd via twitter 9/24/2013 5:19:28 PM -
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t3 in rare circumstances such as lifraumeni syndrome it can be heritable but most is sporadic #abcdrbchatby Carola Arndt MD via twitter 9/24/2013 5:20:53 PM -
@abcDrBchat T2: Story of my son's diagnosis told by ER doctor. epmonthly.com/subspecialties… #abcDrBchat #childhoodcancerby ingridktw via twitter 9/24/2013 5:21:01 PM -
#abcDRBchat Unlike most adult cancers, the causes of pediatric cancer have largely yet to be pinpointed.by TS_Song4Cancer via twitter 9/24/2013 5:21:07 PM -
Excited to talk about new #ChildhoodCancer treatments tomorrow. #abcDrBchat ow.ly/p8ZTB http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BU4xqaFCUAEQLz0.jpg
by SeattleChildrensNews via twitter 9/24/2013 5:21:26 PM -
T3: Often the cause is a random event that happened inside a cell in your body, with no outside cause. #abcDrBchatby angelahaupt via twitter 9/24/2013 5:21:56 PM -
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FROM DANA FARBER
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Lisa Diller, MD, chief medical officer of Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, advises parents to remain positive if their child is among the 12,000 children in the United States diagnosed with cancer each year. Thanks to advances in research and treatment, the five-year survival rate is 83 percent for all childhood cancers combined, up from 58 percent in the mid-1970s. -
Although many signs and symptoms of cancer – fever, bruising, headaches – are normal in healthy children, pediatricians are extremely skilled at distinguishing the usual bumps and pains from concerning ones. By evaluating the character, duration and severity of symptoms – as well drawing on their own instincts – they know which symptoms require additional evaluation and promptly order the appropriate tests.
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T3 Understanding the genomics of #pediatric #cancer is transforming how we classify and treat these cancers #abcDrBchat @StJudeby AACR via twitter 9/24/2013 5:24:21 PM -
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The need for specialized pediatric oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and surgeons cannot be overstated, nor can the importance of seeking treatment at a center specializing in pediatrics. Not only do clinicians trained in pediatrics understand the needs of a child’s developing body, but cancer also presents differently in children and adults.
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by Four Square via twitter 9/24/2013 5:26:52 PM -
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t4 Some tumors are remarkably well treated now, such as Wilms (kidney) tumors in children #abcdrbchatby Richard Bram via twitter 9/24/2013 5:27:30 PM -
#abcDrBchat "curable" is a misleading term when 98% of survivors of #hildhoodcancers are likely to develop chronic ailments in adulthoodby PAC2 via twitter 9/24/2013 5:27:35 PM -
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T4 Despite progress in recent decades, over 100k children die each year from cancer bit.ly/Yan0df #abcDrBchatby City of Hope via twitter 9/24/2013 5:28:39 PM -
T4 #abcDRBchat The 5 year survival rate seems promising but after that about 2/3 of patients suffer from a secondary cancer or other diseaseby TS_Song4Cancer via twitter 9/24/2013 5:28:46 PM
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Cancer treatments can affect a child’s growth, fertility, and endocrine system. Child survivors may be permanently immunologically suppressed. (Source: National Cancer Institute)
Radiation to a child’s brain can significantly damage cognitive function, or if radiation is given at a very young age, limiting the ability to read, do basic math, tell time or even talk. (Source: National Cancer Institute) -
T4 Standard cancer therapies can leave children with life-threatening illnesses as they grow into adulthood. #abcDRBchat #abcdrbchatby ChildrensPhila via twitter 9/24/2013 5:30:07 PM -
#abcdrbchat T4 Yes, survival of leukemia is dramatically improved, but why is the incidence rising?by bethnearymd via twitter 9/24/2013 5:30:17 PM
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T5 New cancers, heart problems, lung problems, or memory or other neurocognitive problems from St Jude Lifetime Cohort Study #abcdrbchatby Carolyn Quinsey via twitter 9/24/2013 5:31:09 PM -
T5 long term survivors have many more chronic health conditions such as cardiac issue fertilty growth neuropsych #abcdrbchatby Carola Arndt MD via twitter 9/24/2013 5:32:14 PM
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T5 this is my biggest concern now that my 4yr old is done treatment for ALL @abcDrBchat #abcDRBchatby alysfight via twitter 9/24/2013 5:33:20 PM -
T4: Up to 3/5 of #childhoodcancer survivors will experience late effects sometime in their lives #abcDRBchat http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BU8eFRMCIAAOyv7.jpg
by Nemours via twitter 9/24/2013 5:33:33 PM -
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T4. Survival rates 4 most common #childhoodcancers up to 95.9%. If it's not 100%, it's not high enough! #abcDrBchat http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BU8dxDOCAAIEmHw.jpg
by Nemours via twitter 9/24/2013 5:34:39 PM -
T5 #Childhoodcancer survivors face things like learning disabilities, hearing loss, heart disease, even secondary cancers #abcDrBchatby StBaldricks via twitter 9/24/2013 5:34:54 PM -
T5: NYTimes story on promising news for childhood cancer survivors and fertility qub.me/vfm0J0 #abcDrBchatby psj611md via twitter 9/24/2013 5:35:01 PM -
T5: We're pursuing treatment that reprograms a child’s immune system to attack cancer #abcDrBchat ow.ly/paD6Cby SeattleChildrensNews via twitter 9/24/2013 5:35:27 PM
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T5: Proton therapy limits damage to healthy tissue & lowers risk for short-term & long-term side effects cot.ag/18nhafx #abcDrBchatby Seattle Children's via twitter 9/24/2013 5:36:20 PM -
Physical and neurocognitive disabilities resulting from treatment may prevent childhood cancer survivors from fully participating in school, social activities and eventually work, which can cause depression and feelings of isolation. (Source: National Cancer Institute)
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Physicians act quickly when a child is diagnosed with cancer. Using leukemia as an example, oncologists often receive a late afternoon call about a child seen in the office earlier in the day whose blood counts result suggest leukemia. Typically, the oncologist sees the child in the emergency room the same day. Depending on the child’s condition, s/he will either be seen in an outpatient facility or admitted to a hospital and undergo several days of preliminary tests, which may include scans, biopsies and blood work. A team of pediatric specialists, including an oncologist, surgeon, radiation oncologist, pathologist and radiologist, will make a final diagnosis and design a treatment plan.
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FROM US NEWS AND WORLD REPORTS
About 10 to 20 children out of every 100,000 develop cancer annually, according to the National Cancer Institute. Though it may sound like a relatively small ratio, the rate has been slowly rising since the institute began tracking the rate nearly four decades ago. In 1975, researchers recorded about 11 cases per 100,000 children. In 2010, they reported 16.8 cases per 100,000.
While there are a dozen potentially deadly childhood cancers – lymphoma, neuroblastomas, and bone cancer, to name a few – two lead the pack, striking the most kids in recent decades: leukemia and brain cancer. -
by DanaFarber via twitter 9/24/2013 5:38:16 PM -
by AACR via twitter 9/24/2013 5:39:16 PM
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T5 Check out this recent HuffPo article on fertility & cancer survivors: qub.me/Ph4ysE #abcDRBchatby CancerCare via twitter 9/24/2013 5:39:22 PM -
T6 #abcDRBchat I am only 15 but something every parent of a child w/cancer that I've conversed with says trust your gut.by TS_Song4Cancer via twitter 9/24/2013 5:39:39 PM
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T6 #abcDRBchat Be the biggest advocate for your child. A parent's instinct is almost always right. Don't be afraid to fight the doctors.by TS_Song4Cancer via twitter 9/24/2013 5:40:22 PM
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T6 Parents of children with #cancer should remember they can't do it alone. Ask for help. Develop a support group. #abcDrBchatby UCSDHealth via twitter 9/24/2013 5:40:48 PM -
T6: Five things that parents of kids with cancer should know: ow.ly/p49Nq #abcdrbchat #ChildhoodCancerby ChildCancerCare via twitter 9/24/2013 5:40:59 PM -
Seek information from the websites of reliable cancer institutions, such as the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The nearest medical facility that offers cancer treatment will not only have books and videos but will also have resource specialists to meet with parents and children.
