A Deep Dive Into The State Of Childhood Cancers In India

Did you know? Non-communicable diseases like cancer are the reason for approximately 50% of deaths among children below 15 years in developing countries.¹ Not just that, a child dies of cancer every 3 minutes!² The best way to improve this situation is to ensure that there is adequate awareness about the problem and access to quality healthcare for all.

A great initiative that serves as a step in the right direction regarding this matter is celebrating international childhood cancer day on 15th February every year!² It is a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness and support children with cancer as well as cancer survivors and their families.²

How Common Are Childhood Cancers?

Approximately 4,00,000 children and adolescents (0-19 years) across the globe develop cancer every year.³ Most common childhood cancers include leukaemias, brain cancers, lymphomas, and solid tumours like neuroblastomas and Wilms tumours. Here we dive deeper into the incidence rate of each of these cancers.⁴

• Leukaemia: It is more prevalent amongst children aged 2 to 6 years and accounts for 30% of childhood cancers.⁵
• Brain and Spinal Cord Tumours: It is the second-most common cancer in children with 26% of total cancer cases in children.⁴
• Neuroblastoma: 90% of neuroblastoma cases are observed in children under 5 years of age. Usually, the age of diagnosis averages between 1 to 2 years old. This childhood cancer is rarely seen in children older than 10 years.⁶
• Nephroblastoma (Wilms Tumour): Wilms accounts for 5% of childhood cancer cases and originates in one or both kidneys of the child. It is most often found in children aged 3 to 4 years.⁴
• Osteosarcoma (Bone cancer): This type of cancer is found in older children and the average age of diagnosis is 15 years.⁷

We have seen that cancer in young children is a cause of concern worldwide, but let us dive deeper into its effect on the Indian population.

Prevalence Rate Of Childhood Cancer In India

The rate of childhood cancers in India appears to be increasing.⁸ Over 1 million cancer cases are diagnosed every year in the country, out of which 3% of the cases are observed in children.⁹ According to this, approximately 50,000 kids develop cancer, which accounts for 20% of childhood cancer cases across the globe.⁹

Cancer is the 9th most common cause of death amongst children in India. According to WHO, less than 30% of childhood cancers are cured in low and middle-income countries.³ This can be attributed to significant barriers to early diagnosis, inability to accurately diagnose, poor access to health care facilities, and inability to initiate prompt treatment.³ One way to combat childhood cancers is newborn genetic testing.

Newborn genetic screening is known to be a cost-effective method to reduce the mortality associated with pediatric cancer.¹⁰ LifeCell’s GenomeScope Newborn is a comprehensive DNA test for infants that can identify childhood-onset conditions, including cancers like Wilms tumour and retinoblastoma before the appearance of any signs or symptoms.

Treatment Options For Childhood Cancers

There is a wide array of treatment options for kids with cancer. However, the type of treatment always differs based on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. A few common treatment options include:¹¹

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation Therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Stem Cell Transplant

Can Stem Cell Banking Help In Childhood Cancers?

Preserving your baby’s stem cells is known to be an effective way to secure your child’s health against several types of cancer. Also, umbilical cord blood can be used to treat children with solid tumours.¹² LifeCell offers an extensive umbilical cord blood banking service, BabyCord, which can help protect your baby from the impact of 90+ conditions, including the following types of cancer. Here are a few types of childhood cancers that can be treated through the stem cell transplant:¹³

• Leukaemia
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Medulloblastoma
• Neuroblastoma
• Retinoblastoma

According to research umbilical cord blood serves as a rich source of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and has amazing success rates like:¹⁴

• 86% rate of single-unit engraftment
• Low (26%) chronic GVHD (graft vs host disorder)
• Low (14%) risk of relapse
• High (64%) disease-free survival rate

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, childhood cancer is a pressing issue, with a significant number of children being diagnosed with various forms of cancer each year. The lack of awareness, inadequate healthcare facilities, and high treatment costs are some of the significant challenges faced by families of children with cancer. Having said that, initiatives by several organisations, as well as with the increasing treatment options available now, like stem cell transplants, are gradually improving the situation.

It is crucial to continue to raise awareness about childhood cancer, provide better access to healthcare facilities, and support the affected families. Sustained efforts in this matter will definitely result in better survival chances and help the children lead healthier lives.