About cancer
Facts and myths about childhood cancer
Myth 1: Cancer is contagious and can spread like flu.
Fact 1: Cancer is not contagious. Cancer cannot be spread from one child to another. We isolate children with cancer as their immunity is low and are vulnerable to infections.
Myth 2: Childhood cancers are inherited.
Fact 2: There is no known cause for most childhood cancers. At least 95 % of the cancers in children occur spontaneously. Since the triggers of most childhood cancers are unknown, preventive measures are limited. Thus far, studies suggest that there is nothing a child or parent did to induce cancer, and therefore, should avoid doing in order to prevent childhood cancer.
Myth 3:
Fact 3: Most childhood cancers are curable. For example, in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, which is a common form of Leukaemia in Singapore, 3 in 4 children will be cured with chemotherapy alone. A successful cure depends on receiving the current-day standard therapy, a positive attitude and determination to overcome cancer.
Myth 4: Children with cancer lose all reasons for living.
Fact 4: Children with cancer can still lead a normal childhood. Children with cancer can lead a normal childhood. Many children return to normal school life after treatment. In other cases, the children and their families adapt and modify their lifestyle to achieve normalcy. This becomes much easier with care, understanding and support from family, teachers, friends and other caregivers.
Myth 5: All tumours are cancerous
Fact 5: Not all tumours are cancerous. Tumours are either benign or malignant. Malignant tumours are cancerous cells that nvade and spread to other parts of the body. In contrast, benign tumours invade tissues surrounding it and generally do not spread.
Chemotherapy – Life Saving, Life Changing
Being told a child has cancer creates an immediate crisis in a family. After the initial shockwave of the diagnosis hit like a brick wall, what soon follows is a tidal wave of emotions. Family members encounter stress, depression and severe anxiety. After all, cancer is a complex disease. It forces life challenging event in a family. In a split second, family members find themselves plunged into a maze without a map. Life will never be the same again. The effects that cancer has on family members and how each individual cope vary over the course of treatment. There is no right or wrong way to feel. Emotions fluctuate from moment to moment. At times the intense emotion is unspeakable. Chemotherapy is one of the common treatments for treating cancer. When parents first learned about chemotherapy, probably the word itself invites fear and confusion. Most parents will dutifully sign on for the treatment based upon what they believe to be in the best interest of their child. But deep down how we all wished the diagnosis was simply an error, a big mistake made by the lab. Regardless how we see chemotherapy, the treatment is toxic and painful. It always affects people in different ways. Despite science and medicine have made tremendous progress, chemotherapy is not without unpleasant physical side effects and risks. Certain side effects may have longer term consequences, others just fade quickly. Side effects may reduce our children’s quality of life significantly. To some, the side effects are worse than the cancer itself. Often, strong cancer therapy suppress the immune system, increases the risk of infection and life-threatening complications. If the good news about chemotherapy is about survival, then the bad news is the negative impact on the child’s quality of life. Like most parents, I agreed with the standard chemotherapy treatment without fully understanding the risks after I learned about my son’s diagnosis. As time went by, I realized basic understanding on chemotherapy is a necessary preliminary to understanding the side effects. Families are likely to encounter problems outside the hospital setting when receiving outpatient chemotherapy. Learning to manage side effects meaning taking control of the patient’s health. This too can be countered, once it is acknowledged and understood. It could have a major impact on survivorship. To survive cancer and treatments, it takes more than chemotherapy. To improve treatment tolerance, attitude, proper nutrition and life style choices are essential. Parents need to become smart and well inform simply because you need to be. Improved dietary habits and altered lifestyle may compliment cancer therapy, ultimately the healing process. To overcome obstacles and get it done is a labor of love, one needs help and support from all. Childhood cancers are a death sentence.
