Content
Cancer amongst Children and Adolescents
Last update on: 01/16/2009
Cancer is very rare amongst children and adolescents. However, after accidents, cancer is still the most common cause of death amongst 1-15 year-olds within the Western industrialised countries.
The chances of a cure were considerably increased within the past fourty years. Progress within the early diagnosis and individualised therapies were crucial for this development. Considerable factors of the success of the child cancer research were the international collaboration of experts and the therapy-improvement studies.
A portion of the increased chances of survival is also due to rapid development of biotechnology within the past years.
However, a further improvement of the existing treatment possibilities is required, in order to eventually permit possibilities of a cure to all children and adolescents suffering from cancer.
Continual progress within the area of child cancer research is very costly and requires extensive education:
In times of a continual scarcity of resources and an increased competition for aids, it is important to awaken the understanding amongst the public and the decision makers, that in order for the further increase of the survival rates and for the improvement of the standard of living of the cured young people, adequate funds must be provided.
What is Cancer?
The body is made up of billions of cells, which constantly build new cells by the process of division, during which the old ones will die off after a certain time. Cancer is considered a malign sickness, which is marked by the uncontrollable growth of changing cells. During this process many premature cells, which constantly replicate, eliminate the healthy cells without taking over any bodily function.
Cancer can affect different organs and tissues. A culmination of abnormally grown cells, building a lump, are referred to as tumour. They destroy surrounding tissue and form secondary tumours. These secondary tumours are referred to as metastatic tumours. The form of cancer is identified depending on the location of the affected organ. When hematopoietic organs are affecte it this cancer is referred to as leukemia.
