How To Treat Cancer In Children?

The diagnosis of cancer can be extremely upsetting. But if a child contracts it, then it is especially distressing for the parents. But remember, cancer can be combated with the right treatment at the right time. so, it is important that as a parent you should learn about the basics of cancer treatment so that you can interact better with the paediatric oncologist.

Childhood cancer treatment

It is a fact that childhood cancer is quite rare. While it is indeed a blessing, but the rarity of childhood cancer means that it hasn’t furthered doctors’ or researchers’ understanding of the disease and what the most effective treatment mode is. That is why in almost every case a child diagnosed with cancer is made part of a clinical trial. It takes a multidisciplinary approach and is very flexible because it incorporates new drugs, technologies, a combination of drugs and tweaking the dosages. 

A team of doctors comes together to chalk out a course of action. 

But here are some of the fundamentals of treating childhood cancer-

1. Surgery

Through surgery, doctors remove the cancerous tumour from the child’s body. Surgical oncologists also extract some of the unaffected tissues surrounding the tumour just to be safe and leave no trace of mutated cells in the tissues nearby.

And even if the doctors feel that a few cancerous cells have been left behind, the child will have to undergo a few sessions of chemotherapy to destroy the final few cells.

Other than surgery, treatment can also comprise therapy using certain drugs that have the ability to destroy cancer cells-

2. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs kill the cancer cells, prevent them from growing and dividing. A child’s chemotherapy regimen will consist of a predetermined number of cycles spaced out over a specific time- all of which the oncologists decide based on the type of cancer. 

Chemotherapy can either be delivered intravenously or as pills. 

3. Immunotherapy

The purpose of this therapy is to bolster the body’s own defences and teach it to destroy the cancer cells. The drugs that are used are made either from substances that the body produces or those produced in laboratories but their function is to power up your immunity. 

4. Radiation therapy

A radiation oncologist directs a beam of x-rays or photons at the site of cancer.  This therapy too destroys the cancerous cells. Usually, radiation is delivered from a form of an external beam which is why it is called external beam radiation. But sometimes implants are inserted into the child’s body that deliver the radiation and this is called brachytherapy.

5. Bone marrow transplant

If the cancer cells are present in the child’s bone marrow then it is removed and replaced by special cells called hematopoietic cells that can produce a new bone marrow in the child. These surgeries which used to be called bone marrow transplant are called stem cell transplantation.

Cancer treatment can be physically and emotionally taxing for a child. That is why he/she needs an extensive family support system to help deal with the stress. Moral boost is a must for a successful recovery.