4 Books to Help Your Child Deal with Cancer

Cancer is something even adults sometimes have a hard time fully comprehending, so it's totally understandable for kids to have difficulty dealing with this disease. One way to clear up confusion and help your child with cancer cope is with books designed with this purpose in mind. Here are four worth considering.

1. 'My Cancer Days' :

This book by Courtney Filigenzi uses the story of a young girl who expresses a wide range of emotions when as she is diagnosed with cancer and treated. It can help your child understand that it's perfectly normally to have several different feelings when faced with this type of illness.

2. 'The Hare Who Lost Her Hair' :

While this book by Amy Leonard and Tom Paul Fox alludes to issues with chemotherapy children may face, such as the loss of their hair, it doesn't directly use cancer-related words. This tale of a rabbit that loses her hair after she finds a "magical healing stream" that could help her get better is meant to serve as a starting point for a conversation with your child about their treatment.

3. 'Draw It Out' :

Credited to Art with Heart, this book was created under the guidance of more than two dozen mental health experts. It's designed to help elementary school and middle school children express their feelings with pictures. The drawings your child makes can serve as a springboard for conversations that address the concerns they visualized.

4. 'The Famous Hat' :

The most common type of childhood cancer is leukemia, which is what this book by Kate Gaynor and Ruth Keating is about. This book can be helpful if your child is at a point where they have to routinely visit the hospital for treatment. It tells the story of a boy who has a positive attitude while being treated for cancer.

Books of this nature address all phases of the cancer process, from diagnosis to treatment and remission. However, cancer doesn't always directly affect children. There are also books you can borrow from your local library or purchase online to help a child with a friend, sibling, classmate, or adult family member with cancer. ...

Secondary Cancers in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Although most cases of cancer are diagnosed in older adults, children can and do develop various kinds of cancers.

Who is at Risk?

Children given high doses of chemotherapy to treat leukemia sometimes develop a secondary case of leukemia within ten years of being cured of their first case of leukemia. Children given radiation therapy, especially at younger ages, are at risk of developing breast, thyroid, skin, brain, spine, and bone tumors later in life; these tumors usually only develop more than ten years after treatment. The actual areas at risk of developing a tumor depends on which tissues were exposed to the radiation.

The risk of developing a secondary cancer is actually relatively low; children treated in the 1990s were followed closely and only 1.3% developed a secondary cancer during the fifteen years after treatment. In the past, before the issue of secondary cancers was understood, radiation therapy was often heavily used to treat children with cancer, and the use of radiation therapy was found to be linked to a 2.1% risk of developing a secondary cancer within 15 years of treatment. In the 1970s, more than seventy-five percent of children with cancer were treated with radiation versus only around one-third today.

Inherited Types

A completely different category of childhood cancer survivors who are at risk of developing additional cancers are children who have inherited a cancer syndrome. This category is generally estimated to include only around 10% of children who develop cancer, but these syndromes can be devastating to the child and the family. For example, Li Fraumeni syndrome is caused by an inherited mutation in the TP53 gene, an important tumor suppressor gene. These children are at high risk of developing multiple tumors throughout childhood and as young adults, including breast cancers, bone cancers, sarcomas, brain tumors, and leukemia.

Being Proactive

Doctors usually recommend children thought to be at risk of developing secondary cancers undergo regular checkups and screenings in order to catch any cancer as early as possible when it is easier to treat successfully. ...

Tumors in Children:

Simply defined, a tumor is an abnormal growth. Usually not accompanied by swelling (inflammation), tumors can appear at any age. When present in children, growths can sometimes be difficult to detect since younger patients often don't know how to clearly verbalize symptoms. Potential sources of tumors in children are also different from what typically affects adults.

SOURCES OF TUMORS IN CHILDREN
Leukemias account for about 30 percent of all cancers in children. Cancer in this form is usually accompanied by joint or bone pain, unexplained weight loss, and general fatigue and weakness. According to the American Cancer Society, brain and spinal cord tumors make up approximately 25 percent of all childhood cancers. Symptoms of such tumors tend to be widespread and may include headaches and dizziness, blurred vision, or difficulty with coordination, dexterity, and balance.

DIAGNOSING TUMORS IN CHILDREN
Not all tumors in children are cancerous, although that determination cannot be made without performing a biopsy. During this procedure, tissue from the tumor is inspected in a laboratory to determine if there are abnormal cancer cells. The location of a tumor is confirmed with an image test. In addition to X-rays, such tests include CT and MRI scans. The latter two tests are able to provide a detailed look at soft tissues.

TUMORS IN YOUNGER CHILDREN
Some forms of cancer that may cause tumors in children are typically found in very young children, often under ten years of age. Affecting nerve cells in the embryo or fetus, neuroblastoma tumors are usually found in the abdominal area. More common in children 3 to 4 years of age, Wilms tumors affect one or both kidneys.

POSSIBLE TREATMENT OPTIONS
As with tumors in adults, tumors in children are frequently treated with chemotherapy if they are cancerous. Radiation therapy, in appropriate dosages, is often recommended following removal of a cancerous tumor to ensure all irregular cells have been destroyed. Even a benign tumor may need to be removed, when possible, if located in a place where it's affecting nerves or internal functions. ...

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Childhood Cancer: Symtoms and signs

Cancer can be hard to detect in children. Children with cancer may experience the symptoms or signs listed below. Sometimes, children with cancer do not show any of these changes. Or, the cause of a symptom may be a different medical condition that is not cancer.
Continued, unexplained weight loss

Headaches, often with early morning vomiting

Increased swelling or persistent pain in the bones, joints, back, or legs

Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis, or armpits

Development of excessive bruising, bleeding, or rash

Constant, frequent, or persistent infections

A whitish color behind the pupil

Nausea that persists or vomiting without nausea

Constant tiredness or noticeable paleness

Eye or vision changes that occur suddenly and persist

Recurring or persistent fevers of unknown origin

If you are concerned about any changes in your child, please talk with your family doctor. Your doctor will ask how long and how often your child has been experiencing the symptom(s), in addition to other questions. This is to help figure out the cause of the problem,called a diagnosis.

If cancer is diagnosed, relieving symptoms is an important part of cancer care and treatment. This may be called palliative care or supportive care. Be sure to talk with your child’s health care team about symptoms your child experiences, including any new symptoms or a change in symptoms.
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Researchers believe certain bright-colored fruits and an exotic spice may help with such efforts.

Oranges, Bananas, and Orange Juice:
Based on the results of a leukemia study that lasted for nearly a decade, researchers determined that a combination of oranges and/or bananas and orange juice during the first few years of life minimized the risk of developing leukemia. Specifically, this risk was reduced from the ages of two through fourteen. All it takes is two glasses of orange juice to boost the body's vitamin C concentration by as much as 64 percent.
Vitamin C, in particular, provides added protection against inflammation. This extra protection may help reduce cancer risk since many types of cancer, including leukemia. tend to develop around areas of infection and inflammation. Bananas are loaded with antioxidants that provide added cell protection.
Oranges and other citrus fruits also have antioxidant properties that may inhibit irregular cell development and growth by keeping the immune system strong and healthy. On a side note, researchers did not find a link between hot dogs and other lunch meats and childhood leukemia, although it's generally a good idea for parents to encourage healthy eating habits and stress the importance of moderation.
Turmeric:

Another study involving the popular Asian spice turmeric noted that childhood leukemia is far less common in Asian countries. The exact cause of leukemia isn't known. However, it's believed diet can play an important role in the prevention of many types of cancer. It's turmeric's active ingredient, curcumin, that may be part of the reason why this spice has protective properties. Turmeric is also a tasty spice that's well-tolerated by most children. Additional spices and herbs that may lessen the risk of developing cancer include: -Garlic, onions, shallots, and scallions -Ginger
-Black and cayenne pepper
-Oregano, which contains a molecule (carvacrol) that may offset the spread of cancerous cells.

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