Types of cancer often found in children

Leukemia

A blood cancer which is widely found in children. It is curable with proper medication and treatment if detected early.

Early symptoms include paleness, fever or bleeding for unclear reasons, pain in bones and stomach swelling.

Brain tumor

A tumor can disrupt the brain's function and destroy the structure of the central nervous system.

Early symptoms include headache accompanied by nausea and hemorrhages. It can also be marked by decreasing visibility, decreased consciousness or behavior changes. Babies will usually have large, protruding crowns of the head.

Parents should also be alert to speech or balance disorders.

Retinoblastoma

An eye cancer usually found only in children. Parents must be wary of the presence of white dots in the middle of the eye which glow when illuminated, giving a "cat's eye" apperaance.

Others signs include obstructed vision, crossed eyes and, in later stages of the disease, protruding eyeballs.

Lymphoma maligna

Cancer of the lymph system. Usual signs are enlargement and swelling of lymph glands in the neck, armpit and/or crotch and intestines without being accompanied by pain.

If it occurs in the intestines, it can cause congestion accompanied by stomach ache, vomiting, constipation and fever. When it occurs in the chest area, it can cause breathing difficulties and a "blue" tinge to the face.

Neuroblastoma

A cancer of the nervous system, with numerous symptoms according to where it occurs. It can attack the neck, chest and eyes.

The eyes will be enlarged, the eyelids drooped and the eyeballs enlarged.

It can quickly cause paralysis if it attacks the spine.

Wilms tumor

A kidney cancer usually found in children. Usually there is blood in the urine, an uncomfortable sensation in the stomach, with the tumor hard to the touch when enlarged.

Rabdomiosarcoma

A kind of muscle cancer that can be found anywhere, but commonly occurs in the head, neck, vagina, bladder and prostate.

The symptoms vary depend on the cancer's location. It can causes protruding eyes or bleeding ears when it occurs in those two body parts.

If it attacks the throat, it can congest the breathing passage, cause inflamed sinuses, nosebleeds or difficulties in swallowing.

In the bladder, the cancer can cause difficulties to urinate or blood in the urine.

Osteosarcoma

A cancer of the bones. Rrapid swelling accompanied by pain in the bones should alert parents to the possibility of this type of cancer.

It can attack any types of bones but usually hits legs, arms and hips.