Η World Childhood Cancer Day is celebrated every year on 15 February on the initiative of the International Association of Parents of Children with Cancer.
It aims to raise awareness of childhood neoplasms (cancers) and to raise awareness of the needs of children with cancer around the world.
Although these are rare cancers, every year 400,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20 around the world suffer from various forms of it. In our country, about 300 children are affected by cancer every year. Mostly from leukaemia.
Cure rates are 80% in high-income countries and drop even to 20% in low-income countries. The goal is to reach a survival rate of 60% even in poor countries by 2030.
If the diagnosis is made without delay, cure rates are high. Modern treatments make prolonged survival and recovery not only possible but also possible for many childhood cancers. In recent years, with advances in medicine and because of the availability of drugs and trained scientific personnel, 70% rate of children accessing specialist treatment becomes well. The greatest achievement of medicine is the fact that Eight out of ten children with leukaemia today get well.
Children with cancer should be treated in special paediatric oncology departments and treated by specialised medical and nursing staff, psychologists and social workers who will take care of them not only during treatment but also during the period of reintegration.
In cancer, early diagnosis is essential. Special attention should therefore be paid to the training of health professionals to be able to diagnose the disease in time, and to inform parents to contact paediatric hospitals in time.
