WHAT IS CANCER?

Cancer (aka neoplasm & malignant tumor) is a large group of diseases where abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, starting in almost any organ or body tissue, and go beyond their usual boundaries to spread to neighboring organs and parts of the body.

In the millions of cells that make up the human body, cancer can develop practically anywhere.

TOP 5 CANCERS FREQUENT IN CHILDREN

Leukemia

Cancers of the blood cells are collectively referred to as leukemia.

The type of blood cell that develops into cancer and how rapidly or slowly it grows determine the type of leukemia.

Leukemia is the most frequent malignancy in children under the age of 15.

Acute myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia (CML), and acute lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia (ALL) are the four main forms of leukemia, depending on whether it is myeloid or lymphocytic.

And acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most dangerous type of leukemia since it's an aggressive disease that progresses quickly, therapy usually starts a few days after a diagnosis is made.

Nearly one out of every three cancer cases in adolescents and teenagers is leukemia. However, overall, childhood leukemia is a rare condition.

Most common, comprises 47.8% of childhood cancers

Brain and spinal cancer

The tissue that makes up the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, can develop tumors.

A developing tumor may not show any symptoms, or it may kill, displace, or impair healthy cells, depending on the type.

There are two main categories of brain and spinal cord tumors: primary brain (or spinal cord) tumors are those that originate in the brain or spinal cord.

Metastatic or secondary brain (or spinal cord) tumors are tumors that originate in another part of the body and subsequently spread to the brain or spinal cord. After leukemia, malignancies of the brain and spinal cord are the most frequent types of cancer in children. They are responsible for around 1 in 4 cases of pediatric cancer. Each year, more than 4,000 brain and spinal cord tumors in kids and teenagers are identified.

Comprises 9.7% of childhood cancers

Lymphomas

The term "lymphoma" refers generally to malignancies that develop in the lymph system, which includes the tissues and organs responsible for producing, storing, and transporting white blood cells that fight infections.

The two primary types of lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The former progresses steadily from one group of lymph nodes to the next. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) account for about 12% of all childhood malignancies. NHL affects boys around two to three times as frequently as girls.

Comprises 9.0% of all childhood cancers

Gonadal germ cell tumor

Gonadal germ cell tumors are a group of germ cell tumors that occur in the reproductive organs. They may start in the ovaries for girls and in the testicles for boys. Ovarian germ cell tumors, which are more common, usually occur in young girls. This cancer makes up 3.6% of all childhood cancers.

Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that starts in the retina, the very back part of the eye. It commonly occurs in children below 4 years old and comprises 7.5% of all cancers.

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