It is estimated that 175,000 cases of childhood cancer worldwide are diagnosed annually. Many early childhood cancers that are diagnosed at an early stage can be treated at high rates.
In our country, about 2,500 cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed annually. Childhood cancers account for 1.3% of all cancer cases and about 1% of all cancer deaths. The incidence of childhood cancer in Turkey has similar rate in high-income countries (see table).
Cancers seen in children; type, response to treatment, and survival rate are very different from adult cancers:
- Childhood leukemia is the most common cancer type in childhood. Lymphomas and central nervous system tumors are followed by leukemia in both genders.
- With the development of multidisciplinary treatment approaches over the years, the development of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery has increased the life expectancy of childhood cancers in our country. Today, many childhood cancer can be diagnosed in many Centers for Pediatric Oncology, and these patients can be treated at International standards. As a result of analysis of national data, the 5-year survival rate for all Childhood Cancers is around 70%. This result is 70-80% in developed countries. The target is to catch 80%. To this end, efforts are being made to raise awareness of Childhood Cancer around the country.
- The height of treatment success and the length of life expectancy in front of children makes early and effective treatment, best service access, quality of life, psychosocial approach even more important.
- Also, the causal relationship of childhood cancers is not as clear as in adults, and there is no known screening program. Even so; early diagnosis and treatment success rates are even higher. Therefore; care should be taken in the presence of symptoms such as loss of appetite, anemia, rapid weight loss, bone pain in the legs, bleeding under the skin (red spots or bruises), nose and gum bleeds, fever and should be referred to the nearest health facility.
Source: Ministry of Health