The phrase “CANCER” can ship chills down the backbone, the second it’s uttered and when most cancers impacts a child, it's nearly surprising and unacceptable, usually assumed to be a myth nonetheless, it's excessive time that we tackle this challenge with information, so that each one of us within the society can contribute to reaching higher survival charges for childhood cancers. We ought to take part in supporting these youngsters morally, socially, medically and financially to dispel all of the myths and taboos surrounding this time period.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Prerna Nesargi, Consultant Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist and BMT Physician at BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital in Bengaluru, shared, “Yes, it's TRUE that cancers in children are very rare but they are the most common cause of non-infectious mortality in children. In India, which is densely populated, it contributes to 26% of the global burden. While this translates to significant numbers, it varies geographically in different types. The present data is taken from cancer registries across the nation, which barely represents the tip of the iceberg. Despite having such significant numbers, people are often unaware, leading to delayed medical attention. This can influence the chances of better treatment, survival, and increased spread/complications that can significantly compromise the outcomes.”

Revealing that youngsters, together with newborns, are in danger in comparison with adults who've a bunch of environmental and life-style threat components for creating most cancers, Dr Prerna Nesargi mentioned, “In children, it’s primarily a genetic disease. However, only less than 2-5% is inherited, meaning the disease was inherited from parents. Nonetheless, a small proportion is influenced by environmental factors such as exposure to carcinogenic chemicals, ionizing radiation and certain viral infections. Childhood cancers are generally very aggressive compared to those in adults. They are managed in a multimodal manner, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. They are highly chemo-sensitive, giving them an advantage over adult cancers in terms of curability and a second chance at normalcy. In fact, some forms of childhood cancer stand a chance of 95% cure rates (as per Western data; we in India are not far behind). However, these children do need support- medically, socially, financially and nutritionally.”

Asserting that they require tender loving care to attain optimum outcomes, Dr Prerna Nesargi instructed, “This is only possible when more people are aware, from parents to teachers, siblings to friends. Overall, childhood cancers can readily be detected and treated in India. Efforts are being made to make treatments very affordable over time, thanks to indigenous efforts by our medical and scientific community. This makes detection and treatment affordable and accessible to larger sections of society. Therefore, let’s pledge to work towards being supportive of this cause and to raise awareness.”

Dr Prerna Nesargi dispelled frequent myths and taboos and highlighted essential information about childhood most cancers that it's best to know -