The onset of cancer in children is sometimes asymptomatic, very discreet, often unnoticed by parents, the patient himself, as well as doctors. For this reason, more than half of young patients are diagnosed with cancer at an advanced stage[3]. What symptoms should arouse oncological vigilance?
Non-specific symptoms - a challenge in diagnosis
The first symptoms of childhood cancers are often not cause for alarm. Symptoms such as weight loss, bone pain, enlarged lymph nodes or unusual skin lesions may indicate other childhood ailments. In young patients with recurrent fever or infections, such as ear infections, symptomatic treatment is often implemented, which affects the timing of diagnosis and thus the initiation of anticancer therapy.
- Although pediatric cancers are rare diseases, both parents and GPs should be aware of their occurrence and remain oncologically vigilant. Caregivers, as the people who know their child best, should report all worrisome symptoms to primary care physicians. Pediatricians, on the other hand, are advised to verify the original diagnosis and expand the diagnostics if the coordinated treatment is not working. It is better to perform one test too many to rule out a dangerous disease than to overlook its development. Early diagnosis often means the possibili...
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