About Pediatric Oncology

Pediatric oncology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. The types of cancers that develop in children are often different from the types that develop in adults. Childhood cancers are often the result of DNA changes in cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth. Unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors.

The most common cancers of children are Leukemia. Brain and other central nervous system tumors. Neuroblastoma. Wilms tumor. Lymphoma (including both Hodgkin and non Hodgkin) Rhabdomyosarcoma and Retinoblastoma. Treatments are chosen for childhood cancers based mainly on the type and stage (extent) of the cancer.

Treatment options might include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other types of treatment. In many cases, more than one of these treatments is used. Childhood cancers usually respond well to chemotherapy because they tend to be cancers that grow fast. Childrens bodies are also generally better able to recover from higher doses of chemotherapy than are adults bodies.