Cancer

Prevention There is not much one can do to prevent childhood cancers. There are a few risk factors that can be avoided such as preventing the child’s exposure to smoke(second hand), excessive sun, toxic fumes, radiation and hazardous chemicals. Prevent Obesity by encouraging healthy eating habits and physical activity to stay fit. If there is a known inherited gene defect, prophylactic surgery may be considered. Currently there is no screening for childhood cancers.

Symptoms of Pediatric/ Childhood Cancers Many symptoms and signs can be non-specific in kids and often be due to other illnesses. The Pediatric Oncology Resource Center uses an apt acronym (CHILDCANCER) to describe the symptoms: Continued, unexplained weight loss Headaches, often with early morning vomiting Increased swelling or persistent pain in the bones, joints, back, or legs Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis, or armpits Development of excessive bruising,…

Although the exact etiology of childhood cancer remains unknown, there are may risk factors that can predispose children for developing cancer. These are broadly categorised as: Genetic - Certain cancers like Retinoblastoma and Wilm’s tumor have a genetic link, which means that the children are born with a specific gene mutation inherited from a parent. Not all childhood cancers occur from an inherited mutation but can be due to a mutation that occurs early in life, maybe even in the womb. Such…

According to the WHO, approximately 400,000 children (aged 0-19 years) are diagnosed with cancer every single year. While high-income countries have an 80% cure rate for children, in low-income countries the cure rate is estimated to be merely 15-45%. Childhood cancer cancers , also called Pediatric cancers are cancers that affect children from the birth to adolescence. Most of these cancers are quite rare and behave differently than they do n adults. References: World Health Organisation.…

Nidhi Maini shares her many challenges with breast cancer, how she found solutions to deal with these challenges, what worked as well as what was not helpful. She also shares some of the photographs she took to help her cope. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2019, a few days after I turned 43. It came as a shock; well, it sounds cliched but, it was a bolt out of nowhere. I was living a fairly healthy life or so I believed. There was no indication of anything amiss till I…

Ramki Sreenivasan was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in 2017. Along with initial brain radiation, targeted therapy, he embraced the spirit and practices of yoga passionately for healing and recovery. Here he advocates the vast potential of yoga in cancer management. I am an avid wildlife photographer and passionate conservationist. I am out in the wild most of the time. Trek to Sikkim The year 2017 was life-changing. In November, I had gone on a solo trip to the mountainous region of…

Prima shares the challenges of caring for her father who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the ureter and kidney, the effect that COVID had on the treatment choices, the pain he went through, the palliative care choices and the emotional turmoil of it all. I vividily remember that afternoon when he implored, “Take me to the doctor, I’m uncomfortable. I’m in pain and want to sleep”. My husband gave him his morphine pill and told him we would go see his doctor soon. He kept saying, he wanted…

Navigating Care and Survivorship Issues of Sarcoma, A Rare and Forgotten Cancer Sarcoma is a rare and complex type of cancer that is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. It also requires a multi-disciplinary approach. There are also long term issues that survivors face. We speak with a distinguished panel of sarcoma experts and survivors who are trying to address the various diagnostic and survivorship challenges of this forgotten cancer Our panelists are Dr. Sameer Rastogi, Medical Oncologist…

Very little is talked about the late effects and long term effects of cancer therapy. Dr Sushma Agrawal, Professor, Department of Radiotherapy, SGPGI, Lucknow, India addresses questions around late effects in cancer survivors and the impact on quality of life. The intent of this article is to ensure that patients and their families are prepared and can discuss this with their physician and to take pro-active steps to prevent or manage these effects. 1.   In your opinion, time-wise,…

Mumbai based photographer Rajen Nair has been motivating children with cancer and hearing loss to take pictures during pandemic lockdown to keep their mind off stress and worry. You have been able to teach photography to children with cancer and hearing loss even during the Covid pandemic. Could you tell us how you managed amidst the lockdown? Due to Covid lockdown, my photography classes and outdoor photography activities were discontinued. Some students had expressed fear about the corona…