Family support critical to children battling cancer – Dr. Stanton

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that, each year, about 400,000 children between the ages of zero and 19 years are diagnosed with cancer. The most common types of cancer among children are Acute Leukaemia (cancer of the blood and bone marrow); Brain tumours; Lymphomas (a group of cells throughout the body that help your body fight off infections); and Solid tumours of the kidneys.
Unlike the other cancers, Acute Leukaemia is the most prevalent form of cancer in Guyana, and amounts to sixty-nine per cent of cases recorded.
While local studies on childhood cancers in Guyana are limited, the public health system has made significant strides towards improving access to care and service delivery for children living with cancer. While there is no specific screening test for these forms of cancer, Guyana can diagnose, provide chemotherapy, scan, monitor, medicate, and provide counselling for children who have cancer, through its Pediatric and Adult Oncology Programmes, available at the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC).
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Narine Singh has said that the country continues to see more cases of childhood cancer in young adolescents, and the primary contributing factor is late detection.
According to Dr. Singh, some of the common indicators that children generally present with are unexplained weight loss, anorexia, prolonged fever or chills, but more specific symptoms include bone pain that can be particularly worse at night, weakness, easy fatiguability, easy bruising to the skin, and frequent infections.
Those with brain tumours may present with headaches that wake them up from their sleep, early morning vomiting, seizures, or gradual changes in personality or behaviour.
Dr. Singh noted that routine check-ups and a healthy rapport between parents and healthcare providers can aid in clarifying any suspicion, and treatment is readily available.
“We recently acquired the services of one of our local doctors who has specialized training in childhood cancers and is now attached to the pediatric department. In terms of medication, we do have treatment for these cancers; and in the case of those who might need radiotherapy, that is available through the Cancer Institute,” Dr. Singh noted.

Family Support

When caring for a child with any form of cancer, parents need to understand that cancer is not caused by anything they did or did not do. Instead, remember that certain risk factors: like a strong family history of cancer, certain medical conditions a child may have, and exposure to prolonged radiation and environmental toxins, can increase a child’s risk of developing cancer.
This is according to the GPHC Consultant for its Pediatric Medicine Department, Dr. Sherelyn Stanton, who contends that childhood cancers must be managed in a holistic way that blends treatment with normalcy.
Battling cancer is challenging for both patients and caregivers. It can be painful and frustrating, and almost always takes a toll on everyone involved: physically, financially, and emotionally. To elevate this, Dr Staton believes, focus should also be placed on mapping out a way to improve the quality of life of those involved. This can range from joint and separate therapy to maintaining their social lives as much as possible, among other things.
“Family support is important because, in most cases when children are admitted, they would like to have a parent there, or another family member who is there with them as they go through this treatment. For single-parent families, you can tell that is quite difficult, but if they have extended family members, they can also offer that help,” she explained.
“All of those relationships that children make and nurture during these years are interrupted, because now they have to be in the hospital and they have to get chemotherapy and can’t have that access to other children that they need. So, support in that regard is quite important,” Dr. Stanton added.
Dr. Stanton underscored that offering support would prevent children from isolating themselves, and improve communication between patients and caregivers.