On International Childhood Cancer Day 2024, we highlight the vital role of parents, as well as family doctors and pediatricians, in the early detection of childhood cancers. No one is more ready to invest in their children’s well-being than parents. By getting to know the early signs and symptoms of certain cancers and looking out for them, you could save your child’s life.
Globally, more than 1000 children are diagnosed with cancer every day. Recent medical advances make for very high chances of survival in high-income countries, where more than 80% of children diagnosed with cancer will survive. Yet only about 20% of children diagnosed with cancer will survive in some low- and middle-income countries.
In India, childhood cancer survival rates have greatly improved since the mid-1970s due to advancements in treatments in recent decades. In the mid-1970s, the five-year survival rate was 58 per cent. Now, 85 per cent of children with cancer survive five years or more, according to the American Cancer Society. However, the type of childhood cancer and other factors determine the survival rate.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children aged one to 14 years, and about 1,040 children below 15 years of age are expected to succumb to cancer in 2024.
From 1970 to 2021, childhood cancer death rate has declined by more than half due to innovations in treatments.
High-income countries have a childhood cancer cure rate of about 80 per cent, while low-and-middle-income countries like India have a cure rate of 30 to 40 per cent, according to experts.
In India, about 40 to 45 per cent of patients with childhood cancer survive five years or more, Dr Prashant Mehta, Senior Consultant, Dept of Medical Oncology and BMT, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad.
The latest estimates show that in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, more than 70% of all children with a cancer diagnosis died in 2022 (1). Unlike cancer in adulthood, the underlying factors that contribute to childhood cancer are poorly understood, and only a small fraction of childhood cancers can be prevented. This means that the recovery of these children largely depends on the capacity of health systems to ensure timely diagnosis, early referral and appropriate treatment. Achieving this is especially challenging in the many countries of the Region that contend with humanitarian emergencies, natural disasters and political instability.
In 2018, WHO launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC). Its main goal is to reduce the survival gap by 2030, by making sure that at least 60% of children with cancer worldwide will survive their diagnosis. GICC is a cooperative effort involving WHO on a global, regional and country-specific scale, in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
This ambitious goal can be reached mainly by strengthening health systems, so that primary health providers – or even parents – are able to spot the early signs of childhood cancer, and a referral system can direct the child to the specialized care vital for their survival. As well as treatment, children also require focused attention for their ongoing physical and cognitive development and nutritional well-being. This calls for care by a committed, multidisciplinary team.
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