In adults, cancer can begin to form due to a number of factors, including exposure to the elements, chemicals like cigarette smoke, or low levels of radiation at a continuous rate. In children, their new cells are rarely exposed to these factors for long enough to have made a difference in terms of cancerous cells yet. For this reason, it is thought that many of the types of cancers, which are most prevalent in children, are due to genetics and DNA.
The most common types of cancers, which form in those under the age of 20, are leukemia, bone cancers, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, and Wilms tumor. Of these, the most likely to develop is leukemia, although some rare cancers can and will form in the tissues of children for unexplained reasons. Much of the nature of cancer is still unknown, which is why so many are not yet curable and treatment doesn't always work.
In order to determine the best treatment options to help manage childhood cancer, you must first determine what stage the cancer is in, and how aggressive it has become.
Radiation Therapy:
Radiation itself is not a painful therapy, but it can cause discomfort, and sores can appear after the treatment has ended, especially if the rays are centered at the neck, or upper torso area. Radiation sounds like it would be counterproductive to a cancerous cell treatment, but it works by shrinking the cells, and hopefully halting their progression and growth. This isn't always the first line of treatment, but it is used in many cases of childhood cancer.
Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is thought of as one of the first, and best treatment options to help manage childhood cancer. It is less invasive than surgery and has a higher success rate than radiation in most cases, due to the types of cancer, which tend to form in children. Unfortunately, the types of chemicals used to treat children in the mix of possible medications, tend to be quite aggressive and can make kids feel nauseous, lose their appetite, lose their hair, weaken their body, and even cause some pain in the muscle tissues, and joints.
Chemotherapy can take quite some time to work, but has a high success rate on many of the types of cancers which are most common in children. Your doctor will not usually try chemotherapy if the cancer has progressed too far, or is too aggressive to treat in this way.
Surgery Options:
Finally, the most invasive treatment option for many childhood cancers is surgery, which works to remove the tumor or damaged cells from the body. This can be an uncomfortable process, especially if bone marrow needs to be removed. The pediatric surgeon assigned to your child will be somebody who works primarily with children, and may even be specific to the oncology department.
Learning that your child is dealing with a disease is scary, but your doctor will help you to determine the best treatment options to help manage childhood cancer, and give your little one a fighting chance for a bright future. With modern medicine many children who are diagnosed with cancer will go on to enter remission and live long healthy lives following treatment.