Accounting for approximately 30 percent of all childhood cancers, leukemia affects bone marrow and blood. While rates steadily declined from 1975 through 2013, it's still a disease that's the most common cancer in children and teens. Plus, it can be difficult to manage and eliminate once it's detected. For this reason, anything that can minimize the risk of developing childhood…

Wilms tumor, also known as nephroblastoma, is a rare form of kidney cancer that mostly affects children. Wilms tumor is the most common type of kidney cancer in children. Though the cancer can affect both kidneys, it typically only grows in one. Advancements in diagnosis and treatment have significantly improved the outlook for children with Wilms tumor. The prognosis for…

The effects of the many treatments children with cancer often undergo can take a toll on young, developing bodies. For this reason, it's important for kids fighting cancer to make healthy eating a priority. Choosing healthy foods may also ease some of the side effects associated with some cancer treatments. For some kids with cancer, healthy eating may mean avoiding…

Children aren't just small adults. This is evident in the way cancer affects them compared to how similar conditions affect adults. Not only are the types of cancers likely to be seen in children different, but so are the ways such abnormal growths spread. Even the way children respond to treatment isn't the same as what reactions are normally seen…

A cancer diagnosis is never the kind of news that patients want to hear, regardless of age. However, if the diagnosis is for a child, it is usually an even more sensitive matter. Different questions are raised, including if the child will get well and whether or not the family will be able to afford the treatment. Globally, cancer rates…

Every year, more than 1.6 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed, with more than 600,000 dying from the disease each year, according to statistics from the American Cancer Society. Cancer is especially devastating when it impacts a child. While an estimated 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every day, researchers and medical professionals have worked hard in the last…

Cancer occurs when the body's cells divide and spread without stopping, which is abnormal. While the majority of cases affect adults, about one percent of all cancer diagnoses each year are in children. Unlike cases in adults, cancers in children are usually not linked to environmental or lifestyle factors. Most often, cancers in children are the result of cellular DNA…

The purpose of palliative care is to help a child with cancer live as comfortably as possible. The right approach to such care can also provide some peace of mind for parents and other loved ones. Sometimes referred to as supportive care, palliative care goes beyond managing symptoms to include a focus on overall quality of life. It can be…

Children who have cancer obviously have a lot on their plate. While getting better is understandably the first priority, it's just as important for children to find ways to keep up with their educational needs. Finding the right balance between healthcare needs and academics often involves a cooperative effort between parents, doctors, and educators. Here's what you can do to…

Weight loss as a result of having cancer or undergoing treatment is fairly common. But for children with a form of leukemia called acute lymphoblastic leukemia, it's weight gain that's often a side effect associated with treatment. While many children with leukemia can be cured, more than half of them become obese (a body mass index of 30 or more)…