Childhood Cancer: A Case Study

1. Most cancers incidence peak among children occurs during the first year of life. Some of the most well-known nationwide childhood cancers are leukemia, brain cancer, and other central nervous system cancers. The side effects of treatment, which range from heart disease to brain

This case study examines childhood cancers in agricultural communities of Mc Farland and Earlimart from 1978 to 1995. According to the local residents of these communities the main reason for cancer is contamination through pesticide in the agricultural farms which is the major source of employment for the residents of the community.

Cancer is the most common disease that causes death in the United States. It is actually the second leading cause of death behind heart disease. Some people do not realize it but children can also get cancer. This is call childhood cancer and it amongst children from 0-17 years old. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease past infancy among children in the United States. At a very young age, childhood cancer had impacted my life physically, mentally and emotionally. It definitely changed my perspective on how I will live my life through on out.

According to the American Cancer Society (2013) stated, “Childhood cancers are often the result of gene changes inside cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth” (American Cancer Society, 2013). “Unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors” (American Cancer Society, 2013).

Childhood cancer is two of the most devastating words any parent can hear regarding their child. A child that was diagnosed with cancer in the early 1960s rarely survived and typically led to death. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital understood this concern. When the hospital was created the childhood cancer survival rate was less than 20%. Today, through research and discoveries the rate has raised to 80%.

OXFORD, Oct. 25 – “At 5 months old my daughter was diagnosed with cancer in both of her eyes” said Ellen Flannery, the Founder and Executive Director of CancerFree KIDS. Cancer is the number two leading cause of death among children between the ages of 5-14. By the time you finish reading this paragraph, two more people have passed away from a form of cancer across the United States.

A few years ago I began to work extensively with the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF), first as a tutor, then later as a liaison for my high school. From two years of one-on-one study sessions, alone in a classroom, I could fill a book with memoirs of families rocked by medical expenses that, without NCCF, threatened to bankrupt every person I met—children and adults sacrificing their prom, their college fund, their 401k, to the untrumpable cause of their son’s-daughter’s-brother’s-sister’s-niece’s-nephew’s-grandchild’s health. As a tutor, it was my job to help any student put before me to understand whatever had gone over their head in school; as a person, it was my job to let them cry for the first few minutes after the door of the classroom closed behind them when, for a moment, they didn’t have to bear the weight of so many worlds. It was my job to let them talk

The relationship between maternal smoking and fetal development shows that smoking raises the risk of early miscarriage and stillbirth. In the early stages of fetal development, cigarette smoke may cause genetic damage to the unborn baby. Smoking can change the lining of the uterus making it harder for the implantation of the fertilized egg. The dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes can cause a mother’s placenta to separate from the womb at a premature time. Smoking later in pregnancy appears to decrease the placenta’s ability to deliver nutrients to a developing baby. Some evidence even indicates that heavy smoking by

The Article from CDC explains that Cancer in children is difficult to prove due to cancer being rare in children. With different forms of cancers in children can be caused from different factors in the environment. Also cancers in children have become the leading cause of death in children. “Studies have determined that

“Childhood cancers make up less than 1% of all cancers diagnosed each year”(What Are the Key statistics for Childhood Cancer). The creation of chemotherapy in the 1940’s showed off the progress that can be made, slowing down or potentially stopping the production of cancer cell. With continuous support of many cancer research hospitals and greater funds from the government we can swiftly abolish childhood cancer forever.

Cancer is an exceptionally uncommon infection in kids. Every year about eight thousand children are identified to have some type of cancer (Cancer.org). Evidently, the Cancer.org site identifies that due to the recent advances in medical treatment a number of these children have been cured. Notwithstanding, there have been great improvements in survival rates with increases of the number of children beating pediatric cancer increasing daily, and these have been accomplished using chemotherapy and national and global clinical trials. Today with more than sixty percent of youngsters identified to have cancer cured by surgery, chemotherapy,

Childhood cancer is something that can bring tears to your eyes when someone you know has been diagnosed. Good news is that approximately 80% of children are now surviving the specific cancers they have been diagnosed with. We know that children that receive chemotherapy and radiation have much greater side effects than ones that only have to deal with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses a specific chemical makeup including anti-cancer drugs and are given to a patient to help get rid of their cancer cells. Radiation, on the other hand, is an emission of energy that can be used to destroy or shrink the cancer cells that are being produced. This type of treatment has much harder consequences and side effects compared to chemotherapy. Some of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation are some learning and memory issues when the radiation involves the brain. Chest radiations also can cause cancers to come back or new cancers to evolve. These are

Childhood cancers are often the result of DNA changes in cells that take place very early in their life, sometimes before birth. Some children inherit DNA mutations from their parent which increases their risks of cancer. Leukemia, a common childhood cancer, is caused by changes of DNA inside bone marrow cells. There are two conditions that children can be born with that increase their chance of getting cancer, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and Fanconi's anemia. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is an overgrowth disorder and it can cause Wilms tumor, a type of tumor that starts in kidneys. Fanconi anemia is inherited and it affects the bone marrow which can cause leukemia.

As established in the National Cancer Institute, “Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide for children and adolescents in America, accounting for more than 91,250 children that lose their lives to this disease” (National Cancer Institute). Cancer is not considered a terminal illness, but more of a chronic illness because of the intense treatment that the individual has to endure. As a result of this treatment the chances of survival for children suffering from pediatric cancer has increased around 80 percent. The increment in the survival rate has made it possible for many parents to not have to go through the acceptance that they are about to lose their child to a terminal illness, but have coping strategies that will make them adapt to the fear of the reoccurrence of that illness. This illness has a great impact on the patient as well as the family because not only do they have to adapt to this illness physically, but also mentally. Research has shown that there are both short term and long term effects that come into effect when the child is both in treatment and also years after the treatment. The type of cancers that these adolescents have to endure range from leukemia, brain tumors and other cancerous tumors that have appeared in recent medical studies. These tumors can either be benignant, an acute case that is non-cancerous or malignant, a cancerous case that will need intense treatment over an extended period of time.While many would say there is more of a

Cancer, a long and difficult journey assimilated with death. Cancer, in general, is when cells begin to grow out of control and can start anywhere in the body. There are many different forms and types of cancer; scary but true. All forms of cancer is terrifying, but the most terrifying for children is Leukemia. Leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children and teens. It zones in on blood-forming cells, mainly white blood cells, in the bone marrow. This form of cancer accounts for almost one out of three cancers (Leukemia in Children). Why, in my opinion, this is the most intimidating form of cancer is because it takes the lives of the young who had so much potential and barely began to live their own lives. It takes those who are