Childhood cancer ranks second as a cause of death among children aged 1-14 years. Barbara Bush, former First Lady of the United States, have lost a very young daughter, Robin, aka blood cancer malignancy due to leukemia.
Similarly, two legendary international footballer, Franz Beckenbauer and Gary Lineker, had "lost" his voice due to cancer associated with childhood.
Cancer can occur in childhood, or causes that have occurred since childhood and continues to accumulate to cause cancer as adults or elderly.
"A cancer requires a long time to develop. From the beginning there was nothing to be cancerous. Starting young man until he is no longer young," said the specialist in internal medicine RS Medistra, Drdr Aru W Sudoyo SpPD-KHOM.
Cancer that occurs in childhood would have an impact on the child's individual, their families. The future of the child is not going as smoothly as expected.
Just like other types of cancer, cancer in children is still potentially curable if found at an early stage. Unfortunately, the exact cause of cancer in children is unclear.
Childhood cancer experts from the Department of Pediatrics Faculty of medicine-RSCM Dr. Billy Djajadiman SpA (K), points out, childhood cancer is believed to result from the interaction of various factors (multifactorial). For example, from environments such as radioactive rays, nonradioactive, parental occupation, socioeconomic level, and infection.
The experts indicated the existence of a defect or defects in the cell. Babies in the womb have a genetic defect occurs, then a result there is a growing environmental influences beyond the control of the so-called cancer.
"They see this as a change that occurs beyond the capability of the mother who was pregnant with his baby," said the man who is familiarly called Billy.
Cancer in children has many types. The most frequently encountered are acute leukemia, brain tumors, retinoblastoma, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, rhabdomiosarkoma, and osteosarcoma. So far, cases of cancer in children is 2-3 percent of the total cancer, with a mortality rate of about 10 percent. "About a third are acute leukemia, with the percentage of 30 percent in foreign countries and 30-40 percent in Jakarta," he said.
In acute leukemia, the white blood cells are released from the bone marrow into the bloodstream prematurely. White blood cells are then grown rapidly and become redundant.
The symptoms that looked like pale with sluggish and weak, unexplained fever, abnormal bleeding with signs and blue-blue or red spots on the skin, bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, abdominal swelling or feels hard when palpable.
Treatment strategies against leukemia include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and bone marrow transplantation. The success rate of treatment depends on the stage of cancer, type of cancer, histopathologic picture, treatment adherence, and treatment support.
Assistant professor for pediatricians at MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas, Dr. Sima Jeha, disclose, leukemia treatment requires a process. However, leukemia can be cured, and long-term effects are also fairly minimal.
