Childhood cancer checklist: Doctor lists the telltale symptoms every parent must know
According to a study, ironically, most parents do not know the symptoms of cancer in kids. Childhood cancer is deemed the leading cause of death in young children aged one years and above. Additionally, it is a leading cause of disability.
Cancer is one of the worst diagnosis that can come to anyone – even adults fret the idea of housing a tumour within, one which could be growing and spreading to other body parts. Not to forget, the fear of undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery which can be life-altering. And when it comes to cancer, doctors stress the need for regular screenings and timely detection of the disease. But when it comes to childhood cancer, the symptoms are either unknown or mostly overlooked. Doctors have curated a checklist for parents to know the telltale symptoms of childhood cancer.
According to a study, ironically, most parents do not know the symptoms of cancer in kids. Childhood cancer is deemed the leading cause of death in young children aged one years and above. Additionally, it is a leading cause of disability. The most common childhood cancer is acute leukaemia and of the spinal cord or the brain. But as per a new study published in the British Medical Journal, 68 per cent of British adults were not confident about identifying cancer symptoms.
It was discovered that 47 per cent parents were unable to list the common signs of cancer. Experts said that the symptoms of the cancer in kids often mimic other common health problems. Due to this, screening tests are not widely available to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.
For this, 1000 adults were asked questions about confidence in identifying cancer symptoms. On an average, only 11 signs were identified successfully out of 42 classic symptoms. The least identified symptoms were those that appeared in late puberty. 43 per cent of the respondents said that they waited three months before seeking medical advice for persistent or recurrent sore throat or slow recovery after joint or bone injury.
Symptoms of childhood cancer
The most commonly recognised symptoms were lumps or swelling in the breast, testicles or pelvis, changes in moles, blood in the stools or urine or lumps in the armpits or unexplained weight loss. Apart from these, there are several other signs that are majorly missed. Read on to know the key symptoms of childhood cancer:
- Tummy pain
- Feeling a mass in the abdomen
- Loss of appetite
- Blood in the urine
- Lumps in the chest or armpits
- Lumps in the pelvis, breast or testicles
- Swelling in the face
- Lumps in the skull or jaw
- Persistent or recurring headaches
- Recurrent fatigue
- Persistent vomiting
- Persistent stomach pain
- Unexplained joint swelling
- Swollen glands
- Changes in bowel habits
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Excessive bruising or bleeding
- Seizures
- Pain in urinating
- Double vision
- Multiple episodes of flu
- Pain in swallowing
- Struggling with balance
- Difficulty in walking
- Pale skin
- Bleeding between periods
- Recurrent sore throat
- Head tilts
- Night sweats
- Unexplained weakness or limp in a limb
- Persistent ear pain
- Abnormal facial movements
- Early or late puberty
- Delayed recovery after bone injuries