Cancer is a disease that causes the death of millions of people every year, and the risk of this disease is increasing rapidly with time. Health experts say that due to heredity and disturbances in lifestyle and diet, you can become a victim of cancer. The risk of cancer has been seen to increase over time in people of almost all ages.
The highest reported risk factors are prostate-lung cancer in men and breast-cervical cancer in women. In such a situation, the question arises whether children can also become victims of cancer.
Studies conducted in this regard have shown that cancer can make a person of any age and gender its victim. Children are also involved in this. Some types of risk factors are making children also victims of cancer, so it becomes necessary to pay serious attention to its symptoms.
What are the causes of cancer in children?
Health experts say, most cancers occurring in children are caused by changes in genes that increase the risk of tumors and cancer due to uncontrolled cell growth. Excessive radiation exposure is considered a major cause of cancer in some children. Researchers say, secondhand smoking, that is, if someone in the family smokes and the child is exposed to his smoke, then there can be a risk of developing cancer due to this.
However, unlike adults, children have been shown to have a higher risk of certain types of cancer.
The risk of leukemia is increasing in children
The American Cancer Society reports that the risk of leukemia may be highest in children. Leukemia is a common type of cancer that occurs in the blood cells. This accounts for about 28% of all cancers in children. Leukemia can cause symptoms such as pain in bones and joints, fatigue, weakness, pale skin, bleeding or bruising, frequent fever, and weight loss.
Leukemia can grow rapidly in the body, so in the case of acute leukemia, treatment like chemotherapy is used immediately.
Brain and spinal cord tumors
Tumors of the brain and spinal cord are common in children with leukemia, cancer that is at higher risk. This accounts for approximately 26% of childhood cancers. There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumors, the most severe of which can even have life-threatening side effects. Brain tumors are more common in both children and adults.
Brain tumors begin in lower parts of the brain, such as the cerebellum or brain stem. Due to this, problems like headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred or double vision, dizziness, and seizures have been seen more often.
Cancer can occur in bones also
Cancer that starts in the bones most often occurs in children and teenagers. About 3% of childhood cancers are bone cancers.
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of cancer that usually develops in areas where bones are growing rapidly such as the ends of the bones of the leg or arm. This often causes pain in the bones which may be worse at night. It is important to pay serious attention to the symptoms of bone cancer.
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