One of the deadliest diseases in the world is cancer. We can
imagine a well-grown adult being struck by this devastating disease.
But, when it strikes a young body, we cannot gather enough strength to
grasp the reality. Cancer in children, although rare, is more
devastating and aggressive than those in adults. Unfortunately, many
parents lay their children to sleep in a grave, before they reach 10
years of age, due to cancer.
There are different types of childhood cancers that rob away life from innocent, young souls. Childhood cancers are placed in 12 major categories according to the guidelines by International Classification of Childhood Cancers. These cancers are classified according to their histology. These major categories of childhood cancers are as follows:
»Leukemias
»Lymphomas and reticuloendothelial neoplasms
»CNS and miscellaneous intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms
»Neuroblastoma and other peripheral nervous cell tumors
»Retinoblastoma
»Renal tumors
»Hepatic tumors
»Malignant bone tumors
»Soft tissue and other extraosseous sarcomas
»Germ cell tumors, trophoblastic tumors, and neoplasms of gonads
»Other malignant epithelial neoplasms and malignant melanomas
»Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms
Common Childhood Cancers
The most common types of childhood cancers are leukemia, brain tumors and lymphoma (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). The following paragraphs will cover information in short about some of the childhood cancers affecting the health of children mentally as well as physically.
♦ Leukemia
Cancer of the bone marrow or blood is known as leukemia. It is one of the most common childhood cancers. Immature white blood cells become cancerous and tend to divide and grow rapidly. Soon, the number of the abnormal lymphoblasts outnumber the normal red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells. There are two types of leukemia:
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children is one of the most common cancers that strikes about 75% children with blood cancer. It is a cancer of the immature lymphoid cells in the bone marrow.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
Also known as acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) this is a cancer of the immature myeloid blood cells in the bone marrow. It can affect children of any age.
♦ Cancer of the Central Nervous System
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord. There are different types of CNS tumors that cause about 17% of cancers occurring in people under the age of 20 years. Majority of the CNS cancers occurring in children and adolescents are cancers of the astroctyes in the brain, that is, gliomas or astrocytomas. Other childhood brain cancers include medulloblastomas. These are fast growing aggressive tumors occurring in the cerebellum. Other common brain tumors include brainstem gliomas, ependyomomas and optic nerve gliomas.
♦ Sarcomas
Sarcomas include bone cancers and soft tissue sarcomas. The common childhood sarcomas are as follows:
Bone Cancers
The different types of bone cancers in children are as follows:
→ Osteosarcoma
The most common type of bone cancer is osteosarcoma. These tumors are mostly located at metaphysis, which are the broad ends of long bones. It occurs in the age group of 15 to 25 years.
→ Ewing's Sarcoma
Ewing's sarcoma can affect any bone, but generally begins with tumors in the long bones. It then spreads to various other bones and organs. It mostly affects adolescents and accounts for about 2% of all childhood cancers.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma
One of the most common types of soft tissue sarcoma is rhabdomyosarcoma. It usually begins in the embryonic cells that develop into skeletal muscles. This cancer may occur anywhere in the body like head, neck, groin, abdomen, arms, legs, pelvis, etc. The patient complains of pain and swelling of the affected part. It accounts for about 3% of all childhood cancer types.
♦ Lymphomas
Lymphomas include cancers originating in the lymphoid tissues of lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow. These cancers account for about 15% of childhood cancers affecting people under the age of 20. Lymphoma is divided into two broad categories, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).
Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Also known as Hodgkin's disease, it is characterized by the presence of specialized, giant abnormal cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. It is common in teenagers and young adults and is associated with viral infections.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
The lyphomas that show an absence of Reed-Sternberg cells are classified as non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and are associated with immune system deficiencies. There many types of NHL like Burkitt's lymphoma, non-Burkitt's lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma..
♦ Cancer of the Liver
There are two types of liver cancers that can occur in children, these include hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatoblastomas are very common in children under 3 years of age. Hepatocellular carcinomas are less common and are found in children under 4 years of age as well as those between the age group of 12 to 15 years.
♦ Cancer of the Kidney
Wilm's tumor (also called nephroblastoma) is a type of kidney cancer affects children under the age of 5 as well as older children in some cases. It mostly affects one kidney, and is said to be hereditary in a few cases. Other kidney cancers that affect children include malignant rhabdoid tumors as well as clear cell sarcoma of kidney.
Neuroblastoma
This cancer develops in the nerve cells of infants and very young children. It is often diagnosed within the first 5 years of age. The cancer usually originates from the adrenal glands or spinal cord and then spreads to the bones, bone marrow and other organs. Neuroblastoma accounts for about 7% of all childhood cancers.
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma implies formation of cancerous tumors in the retina. It accounts for less than 3% of childhood cancers. It usually affects children under the age of 6 years and is most commonly diagnosed within the first 2 years of age. The pupils of the eyes appear white or distorted due to presence of the tumor, thus indicating the occurrence of retinoblastoma in the child.
These diseases tend to damage the child's organs, bones and weakens the immune system. The usual treatments for childhood cancers include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. It is important to diagnose childhood cancers at the earliest as it can make a difference between life and death of the child.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-childhood-cancer.html
There are different types of childhood cancers that rob away life from innocent, young souls. Childhood cancers are placed in 12 major categories according to the guidelines by International Classification of Childhood Cancers. These cancers are classified according to their histology. These major categories of childhood cancers are as follows:
»Leukemias
»Lymphomas and reticuloendothelial neoplasms
»CNS and miscellaneous intracranial and intraspinal neoplasms
»Neuroblastoma and other peripheral nervous cell tumors
»Retinoblastoma
»Renal tumors
»Hepatic tumors
»Malignant bone tumors
»Soft tissue and other extraosseous sarcomas
»Germ cell tumors, trophoblastic tumors, and neoplasms of gonads
»Other malignant epithelial neoplasms and malignant melanomas
»Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms
Common Childhood Cancers
The most common types of childhood cancers are leukemia, brain tumors and lymphoma (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). The following paragraphs will cover information in short about some of the childhood cancers affecting the health of children mentally as well as physically.
♦ Leukemia
Cancer of the bone marrow or blood is known as leukemia. It is one of the most common childhood cancers. Immature white blood cells become cancerous and tend to divide and grow rapidly. Soon, the number of the abnormal lymphoblasts outnumber the normal red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells. There are two types of leukemia:
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children is one of the most common cancers that strikes about 75% children with blood cancer. It is a cancer of the immature lymphoid cells in the bone marrow.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
Also known as acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) this is a cancer of the immature myeloid blood cells in the bone marrow. It can affect children of any age.
♦ Cancer of the Central Nervous System
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord. There are different types of CNS tumors that cause about 17% of cancers occurring in people under the age of 20 years. Majority of the CNS cancers occurring in children and adolescents are cancers of the astroctyes in the brain, that is, gliomas or astrocytomas. Other childhood brain cancers include medulloblastomas. These are fast growing aggressive tumors occurring in the cerebellum. Other common brain tumors include brainstem gliomas, ependyomomas and optic nerve gliomas.
♦ Sarcomas
Sarcomas include bone cancers and soft tissue sarcomas. The common childhood sarcomas are as follows:
Bone Cancers
The different types of bone cancers in children are as follows:
→ Osteosarcoma
The most common type of bone cancer is osteosarcoma. These tumors are mostly located at metaphysis, which are the broad ends of long bones. It occurs in the age group of 15 to 25 years.
→ Ewing's Sarcoma
Ewing's sarcoma can affect any bone, but generally begins with tumors in the long bones. It then spreads to various other bones and organs. It mostly affects adolescents and accounts for about 2% of all childhood cancers.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma
One of the most common types of soft tissue sarcoma is rhabdomyosarcoma. It usually begins in the embryonic cells that develop into skeletal muscles. This cancer may occur anywhere in the body like head, neck, groin, abdomen, arms, legs, pelvis, etc. The patient complains of pain and swelling of the affected part. It accounts for about 3% of all childhood cancer types.
♦ Lymphomas
Lymphomas include cancers originating in the lymphoid tissues of lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow. These cancers account for about 15% of childhood cancers affecting people under the age of 20. Lymphoma is divided into two broad categories, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).
Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Also known as Hodgkin's disease, it is characterized by the presence of specialized, giant abnormal cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. It is common in teenagers and young adults and is associated with viral infections.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
The lyphomas that show an absence of Reed-Sternberg cells are classified as non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and are associated with immune system deficiencies. There many types of NHL like Burkitt's lymphoma, non-Burkitt's lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma..
♦ Cancer of the Liver
There are two types of liver cancers that can occur in children, these include hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatoblastomas are very common in children under 3 years of age. Hepatocellular carcinomas are less common and are found in children under 4 years of age as well as those between the age group of 12 to 15 years.
♦ Cancer of the Kidney
Wilm's tumor (also called nephroblastoma) is a type of kidney cancer affects children under the age of 5 as well as older children in some cases. It mostly affects one kidney, and is said to be hereditary in a few cases. Other kidney cancers that affect children include malignant rhabdoid tumors as well as clear cell sarcoma of kidney.
Neuroblastoma
This cancer develops in the nerve cells of infants and very young children. It is often diagnosed within the first 5 years of age. The cancer usually originates from the adrenal glands or spinal cord and then spreads to the bones, bone marrow and other organs. Neuroblastoma accounts for about 7% of all childhood cancers.
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma implies formation of cancerous tumors in the retina. It accounts for less than 3% of childhood cancers. It usually affects children under the age of 6 years and is most commonly diagnosed within the first 2 years of age. The pupils of the eyes appear white or distorted due to presence of the tumor, thus indicating the occurrence of retinoblastoma in the child.
These diseases tend to damage the child's organs, bones and weakens the immune system. The usual treatments for childhood cancers include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. It is important to diagnose childhood cancers at the earliest as it can make a difference between life and death of the child.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-childhood-cancer.html
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