International Childhood Cancer Day-Taking Care right from Childhood

International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) is observed annually on 15th February, to raise the awareness and to express support to the children and adolescents suffering from cancer. ICCD is celebrated mainly to make people aware of how to let their child live cancer-free providing easy access to cancer registries and also guiding them to the best treatment.

World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the importance of diagnosing childhood cancer early and improving access to treatment for children and adolescents with cancer. ICCD promotes that “no child should die of cancer – cure for more and care for all.”

The day promotes increased appreciation and deeper understanding of issues and challenges impacting childhood cancer and the survivors. The mortality rate for global cancer burden is estimated to be 18.1 million and 9.6 million.

What is childhood cancer?

Childhood cancer is referred to as cancer in children from birth to 15 years of age. Some of the common type of childhood cancers are Leukaemia (begins in blood-forming tissue such as bone marrow), lymphoma (begins in the cells of the immune system), neuroblastoma (begins in certain nerve cells), retinoblastoma (begins in the tissues of the retina), Wilmstumour (a type of kidney cancer and cancers of the brain, bone, and soft tissue, also called pediatric cancer.

Most common type of cancers: Cancer is the most common disease these days which turns out to be fatal. The most common risk factor leading to cancer is tobacco and most commonly detected cancers are:

• Lung cancer
• Breast cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Skin cancer
• Stomach cancer

Prevention of cancer from childhood:

• Make your kids familiar to harmful effects of smoking and chewing tobacco.
• Give your kids a rich fruit and vegetable diet.
• Protect them from the harmful UV rays of the sun by protecting them from sunburns,
• Keep a check on their body weight and growth parameters
• Inculcate a healthy habit of exercising regularly or following a sport

Risk factors for cancer: There are a lot of reasons behind the developing of cancer in the body, some of them are as follows:

• Unhealthy diet
• Physical inactivity
• Use of Tobacco
• Alcohol intake

If detected at an early stage, cancer is curable but needs a proper diagnosis because every cancer needs different treatment and a specific treatment regimen that encompasses one or more modalities such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Timely and appropriate treatment is possible if you are aware.

Over to you

ICCD is celebrated to create awareness people to protect children from cancer since their childhood so they lead a happy life. Most of the influence on children comes from their parent and giving them the right guidance on how to lead life will help a lot to them in future.