Cancer is a frightening and tragic diagnosis no matter what the age. The treatment of childhood cancers is complicated by the fact that children’s bodies simply do not function the same way as that of adults because they are still in development. Yet most treatments for children are identical to those for adults except in lower doses.

Children in treatment for cancer or other potentially fatal diseases face a variety of other significant issues:

Developmental Disorders

The aggressive and damaging nature of many of the available treatments can stunt and delay development physically, mentally and emotionally in children.

Social and Psychological Issues

Besides the potential developmental concerns, the environment of a child with cancer can also impact psychological development. These children may spend much of their time in hospitals rather than at school, or being unable to interact with other children because of fear of infection or exhaustion. They also face the topic of mortality far younger than any child should have to. These influences can have a profound effect on a child’s mental health and ability to socialize throughout his entire life.

There are a variety of ways of offsetting these dangers.

One is to find treatments that are more appropriate for a child’s biology. In addition there are many supportive activities that can help a child when families are educated. These activities include programs to keep children socializing and addressing the fears that come with dealing with cancer. Encouraging healthy living can also offset some of these late effects of childhood cancer treatments.

Neither parents nor children should have to face childhood diseases alone. The Rory David David Deutsch Foundation works to increase awareness, fund research, and provide support to families impacted by these diseases. Contact us to learn more or to donate to medical research.

 

Common License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.