Tacloban City, Philippines – In order to create public awareness on pediatric cancer, and in order to provide emotional and psychological support to children with cancer and their families, the month of April has been declared as Cancer in Children Awareness Month.
The Cancer in Children Awareness Month brings a message of hope that children can survive cancer, with early diagnosis and prompt, adequate treatment. In developed countries, childhood cancer survival rate is as high as 95%.
In the Philippines, sadly, it is only 10to 30%. Of ten who are diagnosed, only two/three will most likely survive. They die because they are poor, unable to afford the high costs of medication and treatment.
The Cancer in Children Awareness Month is a reminder for everyone that children can have cancer. Metro Manila cancer registry records in three hospitals, show that eight kids/one very 3 hours, die everyday. Many more cases and deaths remain unreported.
It is also a reminder that childhood cancer strikes randomly, unexpectedly, regularly, sparing no age group, socioeconomic status, ethnic group or geographic region. Children as young as a few months, barely able to talk and walk, can already have cancer.
In the Philippines, about 3,500 children fall victim to cancer every year. The most common pediatric cancer is acute lymphoblastic Leukemia with its classic symptoms of fatigue and paleness, fever and bruising or bleeding.
Fighting Cancer is indeed, a difficult task. The best defense is information, knowing what to expect, both from a medical and emotional points of view, can make things more manageable.
Though acceptance of the situation is oftentimes thought as impossible, effective discipline must be applied in parenting a child with cancer. The parents, for one, should let the child know that is expected of him or her and to stick to it, without forgetting to adjust in accordance with the child’s current situation
During treatment of cancer which comes in two forms, chemotherapy and radiation, it is important to understand the risk of relapse and the occurrence of secondary cancer like thyroid cancer and skin cancer.
Schooling of the child gets disrupted, especially when hospitalization is needed, but it is vital to the well-being of the child to stay in touch with teachers and classmates by sending notes or calling on the phone.
Once the patient reaches the end of treatment, it is important to remember to balance the medical and psychological issues still present with the desire to get back to normal.
Perhaps the most important thing to do is not to wait for our children to be in this sweep over situation. Children must be provided with the proper kind of foods and must be brought to the doctor for their regular check up.
After all, the old adage "an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure" still holds through even in these modern times.