TIME.CO, Jakarta – Panic strikes when people have lumps on their bodies, especially in children. One form of nodule is a tumor. Cancer Dense is one of the health problems often encountered in children.
Solid tumors are masses of tissue that usually don’t contain fluid or cysts. Solid tumors are often associated with malignancies. However, not all solid tumors are malignant.
Hardian Gunardi, a pediatric surgeon at the RSCM, explained in the Indonesian Children’s Oncology Foundation (YOAI) webinar series on December 10, 2022, that about 70 percent of cancers in children are benign. The rest are malignant tumors. Malignant tumors generally grow rapidly, are invasive, and spread easily to other organs.
“Of the malignant types, only 2% are cancerous. So, the incidence is actually relatively small, but the death rate is quite high. Cancer become the second leading cause of infant death after trauma,” Hardian explained.
The most commonly encountered types of solid cancer in children that need to be considered are neuroblastoma (peripheral nerve cancer), retinoblastoma (eye cancer), Wilm’s tumor (kidney), liver cancer (hepatoblastoma) and sarcoma (bone cancer). Your doctor will determine the diagnosis of a solid tumor by recognizing your symptoms and confirming it with other tests, such as imaging.
The main symptom of solid tumors in children is a lump (nearly 90 percent). Susanto Nugroho, Consultant Pediatric Hematology Oncologist at Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang, explained that since childhood cancer cannot be prevented, early diagnosis is very important. The most important way to detect early is to be aware of early symptoms. Parents should be able to recognize the symptoms of solid tumors in children. Symptoms of solid tumors to watch out for in general are:
mass
There is a nodule > 2.5 cm in diameter that persists > 4 to 6 wk in multiple locations. The texture is hard, the boundaries are unclear, the surface is uneven, and it is usually not painful. If the lump is accompanied by a prolonged fever and is unresponsive or deflates to antibiotics, then it should be suspected that it leads to a malignancy, namely lymphoma.
The belly grows
Your abdomen is enlarged and if you feel a tumor in your stomach, it could be Wilms tumor (kidney), liver tumor or eurobaltoma 3.
Abnormalities in the eye
If you find white spots that glow, this could be a symptom of retinoblastoma eye cancer. Symptoms of swelling in the eye can also be a symptom of other cancers in children.
Headache
Watch for severe pain with nausea and vomiting, especially in the morning or evening.
Bone or joint pain
If it lasts more than two weeks and there is no trauma or infection, there is swelling but it doesn’t go away with anti-inflammatory drugs, or a spinal deformity, then parents should be on the lookout.
Susanto added that in addition to recognizing a lump, all malignant tumors are usually accompanied by other symptoms such as paleness, weight loss, weakness, prolonged fever or bleeding. The main therapy for cancer or solid tumors is surgery or removal of the tumor.
“The earlier it is found, the easier it is to operate because it is still located. Not all solid tumors can be operated on, especially those that are large and involve major blood vessels,” Hardian said.
Other treatment options are chemotherapy and radiation. There are special considerations when deciding on cancer surgery in children, namely considerations regarding the age, nature of the tumor, impact on the child’s growth and development, and mental condition. Cancers that are not treated immediately can interfere with children’s growth and development and affect the survival of children with cancer.
Read also: Recognize that right chest pain can be a sign of a dangerous disease
