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Cancer in children

February 15 celebrated as International Children's Cancer Day, to remind all of us the increasing cases of childhood cancer. An estimated 2-4% of overall cancer attack children. Although these numbers appear small, but contribute 10% of cancer deaths in children. And according to data from 2007, in Indonesia every year found about 4,100 a new cancer patient in child.

Not yet known what causes certain cancers in children. Cancer that attacks since the baby was born, it is suspected of irregularities due to the growth of the cells genetic defects in the womb. In greater children, the cause is environmental factors and children's food is not healthy. Can be also due to radiation or viral infection. Or blend between genetic factors, environment, radiation, and infection.

Cancer is found most often in children is a blood cancer or leukemia (25-30%), followed by retinoblastoma (eye cancer retina), limfoma (lymph gland cancer), neuroblastoma (nerve cancer), kidney cancer (Wilms tumor) , rabdomiosarkoma, and osteosarkoma (bone cancer).

As like as adults, cancer in children most likely to be cured if found early in an advanced stage. But early detection of cancer to children is not easy, because children can not understand the symptoms and told what they fell. Therefore the role of people in the surrounding areas is very important in detecting the symptoms of cancer.

According to some sources, children's cancer symptoms include:

a. Blood Cancer (leukemia)

Symptoms and the need to be cautious and often found in leukemia, like as, face pale, listless, weak, fever with unknown cause and it is not cured by antibiotics, the bleeding with unknown cause, the surface skin appear livid when not stumble, prompting members of pain (bone ), stomach swelling / hard.

b. Brain cancer
Symptoms that should be guarded is a headache that heavier every time, accompanied by nausea and vomiting due because pressure hose from the increase in the head. Can also interference talk, vision disturbances, balance disturbances, convulsions, decrease awareness, and even changes in behavior can occur. The baby is in special fontanel appearing prominent.

c. Retina Eye Cancer (Retinoblastoma)
it most often attacked babies aged 6 months-2 years. Symptoms what need to be guard against is white speck in the middle of eye when shine if hit by light(such as opal). Other symptoms are delayed of vision, cross-eyed whit suddenly, and at the old advanced stage eyeball will protrude out.

d. Cancer lymph nodes (Lymphoma Malign)
This Cancer most attack children in 5-7 years old. Symptoms what to be cautious is when do progressive swelling in lymph-gland in the neck, axilla, and the intestine, without pain and inflammation. If do in the lymph gland in the intestine, can cause intestine blockage, with symptoms of stomachache, vomiting, unable to defecate, and fever. When grown in the chest, can encourage the breath or pressing breath channel, so the patient experienced shortness of breath and face turn. In addition, children appear weak, listless, and decreased appetite.

e. Neuroblastoma
This cancer can occur in different parts of the body. In the children most often occur in near the kidneys, lumbar region, in the neck or chest cavity, and eyes. If in the eye, can make the eyes ball protruding, eyelid swelling, and blue, or the lid down and widen pupil. When found in the spine, can press spinal cord and cause fast paralysis. Growing in the bones can cause a fracture without reason, without pain, so people suddenly limp. Other symptoms appear is lomps in the head, or belly stomach and hard.

f. Kidney cancer (Nefroblastoma)
Nefroblastoma or often called Wilms Tumor is the most do in children 3-4 years old, but can also attack the new born baby. Symptoms are marked with bloody urine, malaise in the stomach, and when quite large the stomach will appear larger and feel swell hard.

g. Muscle cancer (Rabdomiosarkoma)
This Cancer can strike anywhere in the muscles, usually in children in the area of the head, neck, bladder, prostate, and vagina. The symptoms is depend to the location of the accrued. In the eye socket, can cause eye protruding out, lump in the eyes. In the ear causing pain or discharge of blood from the ear hole. In urine channel can cause interference urinate. If strike striped muscle in movement members, cause swelling.

h. Bone Cancer (Osteosarkoma)
Usually osteosarkoma attack in children 10-20 years old. Can attack every part of the bones, but most found in the leg, arm, and hip. Usually marked by pain and swelling on the bone. Sometimes started by concussion, such as the fall of the causes are not clear.

If you find symptoms like the above on the baby and your children, consult the doctor immediately. Treated in essentially the same as the adults, the combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and bone marrow transplants.

Are prevention efforts that can be done is, pregnant mothers should avoid radiation, avoid pollution and cigarette smoke, always eat healthy foods and avoid foods that contain chemicals, a reduced consumption of fat, and get children to live healthy, eat healthy food, protection from pollution.