A new health initiative seeks to alert parents, caregivers and health professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean about the appearance of the first signs of the most common cancers in children and adolescents to improve timely diagnosis and treatment results. treatment.
The Campaign “In your hands”, presented on the eve of International Childhood Cancer Day, which is celebrated on February 15, aims to raise awareness about types of pediatric cancer, such as lymphoblastic leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and retinoblastoma, among others.
The initiative has been launched by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Childhood Cancer launched
Some of the common symptoms of these conditions are the appearance of fatigue, unexplained bruising, lumps or swelling, loss of appetite, persistent headache, dizziness and vomiting, and bone pain.
The director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health of the UN agency, Anselm Hennis, put the number of Latin American and Caribbean children and adolescents who are diagnosed with cancer each year at “close to 29,000”.
curable cancers
“While the overall regional survival rate for childhood cancer is currently 55%, it varies significantly from country to country,” he specified.
However, this record decreases to 20% in the countries with the lowest incomes in the region compared to 80% in those with the highest incomes.
The regional agency attributes these differences “mainly to delays in diagnosis, lack of specialized care, and limited access and availability of essential anti-cancer drugs, as well as avoidable mortality due to infections.”
Hennis affirmed that “most of these cancers can be cured if they are detected early”, and stressed that it is crucial “to provide parents and caregivers with the information they need to raise the alarm” with which they can “guarantee a diagnosis on time”.
The campaign includes a short video clip that informs about the most common symptoms of childhood cancers in an easy to remember way. It also offers what to do if a worrisome sign arises.
“The initiative is an excellent way to provide parents, caregivers, teachers and primary care providers with crucial and comprehensive information about the signs of childhood cancer,” said Dr. Daniel Bastardo, director of the Together for Saint Jude program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Too many countries without early detection policies
Every year, one in every 360 children and adolescents (29,000) in Latin America and the Caribbean is diagnosed with cancer, but less than half of the countries in the region (46%) have a national policy for early detection of cancer, including childhood cancers.
The most common types of cancer are acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Wilms’ tumor, retinoblastoma, and low-grade glioma, which account for up to 60% of all childhood varieties.
“The six most common childhood cancers have unique featureswith detectable early signs and symptoms, and are highly curable with proven therapies,” said Marcela Zubieta, head of Childhood Cancer International’s Latin American network.
