Maybe your thoughts travel down the road to the wonder-filled world of a child, whose mind is overflowing with curiosity and hope - all wrapped up in a bow of bottomless energy.
However true this may be, there are children whose lives and circumstances pull a heavy and depressing screen over this idealistic image - children affected by cancer may fall under this umbrella. Perhaps that’s why, unless one is directly impacted by such an event, it’s not something that is often thought about by most people outside of those heartwarming and socially-fulfilling annual fundraising events.
September was (and will continue to be) Childhood Cancer Awareness month; and while a lot of work was done by many organisations to raise awareness this year, what if awareness of childhood cancer extended beyond just one month?
South Africa has seen approximately 1000 diagnoses of childhood cancer annually for the last few years - and these are only the reported cases with at least half of children with cancer never being diagnosed.1-3 Ultimately, these reported cases indicate that childhood cancer doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon.
It might be assumed that advancements in adult cancer treatment directly affects the treatment process in childhood cancers. However, just as soccer and American football are distinct sports, childhood cancer and adult cancer are fundamentally different ball games.
Adult cancer, for the most part, occurs as a result of lifestyle choices such as prolonged UV exposure, smoking (first- and second-hand), and poor dietary choices. An additional contributing factor to adult cancer is the natural ageing process. By no means is adult cancer easier to deal with; however the emotional, physical, and mental resilience which comes with age can make treating adult cancer less tenuous than treating childhood cancer.
On the other side of the spectrum, children (who are new to the world and have lived a fraction of a lifetime) develop cancers primarily due to genetic factors and rarely because of environmental factors that often cause cancer in adults.
The occurrence is completely random and outside of their control; and most common cancers diagnosed in children develop from the parts of the body which are essential to critical growth and development - that being the bone marrow, lymphatic system, brain, and connective tissues.
Despite the dread shrouding childhood cancer, children (on a global scale) tend to have a higher rate of survival than adults - especially when the cancer is caught earlier (as is the case with cancer in general). Why shouldn’t this become a fact for South Africa too?
There are many things constantly competing for your attention - and that won’t change. But choosing to live with an awareness of the impact childhood cancer has on the lives of many people, and understanding the difference you can make by being aware more than once throughout the year, is a good thing.
Children are resilient by design, but how are they supposed to look forward to a good life when cancer darkens their bright worlds?
Awareness of childhood cancer and its early warning signs makes it very possible for all South Africans to fight with our children, and ultimately change their lives for good.1 In doing so, you’ll purposefully contribute toward a positive change towards something that’s probably constantly on your mind in any case: the future.
In a world where cancer is fighting to take over and keep the heavy and depressing screen over the lives of children affected by cancer, perhaps something as simple as your awareness can be the ray of sunshine that will pierce that screen and make a way for wonder, curiosity, hope, and energy to infuse their worlds again.
So, what’s your next step?
References are available on request.
