Пediatric patient with cancer has, on average, a 70 percent chance of recovery, according to Rocío Cárdenas Cardós, a specialist in the Oncology Service of the National Institute of Pediatrics (INP) of the Ministry of Health. This probability can vary depending on the tumor's advancement at the time of diagnosis. In an interview for the Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, the specialist emphasized the importance of updating the knowledge of primary healthcare medical personnel to improve survival rates.
Cárdenas Cardós pointed out that it is essential for doctors to be trained to identify warning signs that may indicate a possible case of childhood cancer and refer the patient for specialized consultation. Among the most common symptoms are bone pain, unexplained fever, swollen lymph nodes, frequent infections, bleeding, bruising, irregular growth, and others.
Leukemia, especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia, is the most common type of cancer in pediatric patients, primarily affecting children between five and six years old and representing half of the cases detected at the INP. In second place are central nervous system tumors, such as medulloblastomas and astrocytomas, which are more difficult to diagnose and are often referred late to tertiary hospitals.
Childhood cancer survivors face challenges reintegrating into daily life, and a lifetime medical follow-up is necessary due to potential treatment sequelae. In this sense, there is the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) by the World Health Organization, which aims to reduce patient suffering and achieve at least a 60 percent survival rate by 2030.
Cárdenas Cardós proposed that oncology be mandatory in medical school curricula so that all general practitioners have knowledge of this disease. The INP is implementing actions to facilitate early diagnosis and free care, as well as training for local doctors to decentralize medical care and improve childhood cancer treatment.
