Childhood cancer and Al-Twam Hospital Visit

I am posting these pictures which has been taken when i visited the childhood cancer section in Twam Hospital to talk about a very important illness which is childhood cancer . The types of cancers that develop in children are very 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.

There are some exceptions, but childhood cancers tend to respond better to treatments such as chemotherapy (also called “chemo”). Children's bodies also tend to handle chemotherapy better than adults' bodies do. But cancer treatments such as chemo and radiation therapy can cause long-term side effects, so children who survive cancer need careful attention for the rest of their lives.

Treatments are chosen for childhood cancers based mainly on the type and stage (extent) of the cancer. Treatment options may include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and/or other types of treatment. In many cases, more than one of these treatments is used.
There are exceptions, but childhood cancers usually respond well to chemotherapy because they tend to be cancers that grow fast. (Most forms of chemotherapy affect cells that are growing quickly.) Children's bodies are also generally able to recover from higher doses of chemotherapy than are adults' bodies. Using more intensive treatments gives doctors a better chance of treating the cancer effectively, but it can also lead to more short- and long-term side effects. Doctors do their best to balance the need for intensive treatment with the desire to limit side effects as much as possible.

The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Doctors use five-year rates as a standard way of discussing and comparing the prognosis (outlook for recovery) for different cancers. Of course, many children live much longer than 5 years, and many are cured. Keep in mind that 5-year survival rates are based on patients who were diagnosed and treated more than 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment often result in a better outlook for patients diagnosed more recently.

We have been told during our visit that when children feel happy they tend to be more healthy and thats why we did many activities that would help them rais defence in their system.