Cancer In Children
Cancer can be enormously devastating physically and emotionally to those battling the disease as well as to their families. Meticulous medication and prompt treatment can ward off the threat to a considerable extent, but it is an accepted fact that patients who maintain a positive outlook and have strong social bonds often respond to better treatment. According to statistics five percent of the cancer patients in India are children.
Cancer in children is rare but is emerging in these days alarmingly. It is quite different from cancers affecting adults. Kerala has achieved high standards in primary healthcare. With high level of family planning acceptance the average number of children in a family being two it is important that the children should get prompt and meticulous medical attention especially when they develop dreaded diseases like cancer.
The common malignancies in children are heamatological ( Leukaemias and Lymphomas ). Most of the cancers in children are curable if they are detected early and treated properly. The probability of survival from childhood cancer varies. In general it is closely related to the levels of affluence and highest survival rates are noticed in the wealthiest and western countries and lowest survival in poor countries. This is partly due to the expensive treatment and of medical facilities and partly due to the detection of the disease in an advanced stage.
