Childhood cancer is an emotional and overwhelming reality that thousands of families in India face each year. Even though medical science and treatments have enormously advanced, many are uninformed about the prevalence and toll of these diseases on young lives.
Childhood cancer awareness is not just about understanding a disease; it is about giving children a fighting chance at life. Awareness can lead to early detection, effective treatment, and improved survival rates of children. By being aware, we can ensure that every child gets timely medical care.
Prevalence of Childhood Cancer in India
In India, cancer is the ninth cause of mortality in children within the age bracket of 5 to 14 years. The ICMR estimates that approximately 50,000 childhood cancer cases occur annually. The most common types are leukaemia, brain tumours, lymphomas, and solid tumours, including neuroblastoma and Wilms’ tumours.
While these are gloomy statistics, they also show the need for awareness about childhood cancers in the country. Lack of awareness and misconceptions regarding most of the childhood cancers lead to underdiagnosis and late diagnosis. This brings into focus the relevance of disseminating information on the signs and symptoms and available treatments.
According to a recent report by the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) in India, cancers among children aged 0–14 years represented 4.0% of all cancer cases. The Population Based Cancer Registry in Delhi recorded the highest age-adjusted incidence rates, with 203.1 cases per million in boys and 125.4 cases per million in girls.
Early Detection Methods
Early diagnosis can improve the survival of children who have cancer. The prospects of successful treatment and low requirement for intensive and invasive treatments are much higher when diagnosed in the early stages. In India, most of the diagnosis cases are reported at the advanced stage due to a lack of awareness and access to healthcare facilities.
Unexplained weight loss, fever, fatigue, and unexplained pain or swelling are the common manifestations of childhood cancers. Parents and caregivers must be excessively vigilant about unusual symptoms in children and seek immediate medical consultation. Greater awareness of childhood cancer would go a long way in educating parents, teachers, and healthcare providers on such signs and symptoms and in motivating timely medical evaluation.
Obstacles to Effective Childhood Cancer Care in India
While raising awareness is essential first, it is equally important to understand the barriers to effective childhood cancer care in India. Most areas of the country have inadequate healthcare facilities. In addition, there is a shortage of personnel, especially pediatric oncologists and cancer treatment centres. There is generally a lack of access to essential medications and technologies across rural areas. The cultural beliefs and stigma related to the menace of cancer further hinder the course of the families seeking help on time, hence worsening the treatment facility for many children.
The cost of the treatment keeps many families away from treating cancer. Parents, without any financial aid, may have to abandon the middle treatment or seek other alternative therapies that may not work. Such barriers call for a multi-way attack on improving healthcare facilities by offering financial aid programs and public education campaigns.
In India, around 76,800 new pediatric cancer cases are diagnosed annually among children and adolescents aged 0–19. Although these cases make up less than 5% of all cancer incidents in the country, the affected patients encounter significant challenges. (Source)
Which is the Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Day?
Which is the Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Day?
September is globally recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, serving the purpose of public education, advocacy for better healthcare policy, and offering care and support to affected families.
Activities held during this month include seminars, fundraising, awareness campaigns, and social media campaigns. Such actions engage communities, clinicians, and policymakers to enhance the quality of care and services delivered to children with cancer in the nation.
In many countries, the second Sunday of the month is observed as Childhood Cancer Awareness Day. This awareness month also involves several non-government organizations, hospitals, and advocacy groups practicing across the country. According to the report from the International Incidence of Childhood Cancer Volume 3, the age-standardized rate of childhood cancer in India, based on data from seven registries, is 96.9 per million. This rate is considerably lower than in countries such as the United States (166.9 per million), Canada (164.9 per million), the United Kingdom (140.5 per million), and Australia (154.9 per million). (Source)
How You Can Contribute to the Childhood Cancer Awareness?
Here are a few ways in which you can contribute to the cause:
- Educate Yourself, Educate Others: Find information concerning the types of childhood cancers and their indicators and the role of early diagnosis.
- Support Groups: Donate generously towards funding research, underprivileged children’s treatment, and the support of families that have a child undergoing treatment for childhood cancer.
- Events: Engage or contribute to any of the activities that are organized in Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Supports events, which are good shows and are essential means to help to raise awareness.
- Advocate for Better Healthcare Policies: Press policymakers to keep concerns about childhood cancer as an essential health issue and strive to achieve affordable quality healthcare for all children.
Awareness Is The Key To Prevention
Childhood cancer awareness is an issue of prime importance in India and, therefore, needs immediate attention. The more we understand the importance of it, the more significant contribution we can make together to ease the burden of childhood cancer in our country. Early detection and timely treatment can bring much-needed difference into the lives of many children and their families.
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