Today is
the last day of the month. It is an important one because it is also the
"last day of the Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month".
The reasons
for Cancers in children are not fully understood. Most cancers in children are
thought to develop as a result of mutations in genes that lead to uncontrolled
cell growth and eventually cancer. Identifying potential environmental causes
of childhood cancer has been difficult, because cancer in children is rare and it
is difficult to determine what children might have been exposed to early in
their development.
Some of the
identified environmental causes include Viruses and their Toxins, Chemical Carcinogens,
Genetics (5%), Irradiation, and Drugs
like Phenytoin.
Maternal
smoking has also been postulated to be causative although a link has not been
established.
Proper
awareness is important and little can be passed across here. Let's help our
kids by doing the proper things at the right time.
Adequate
screening of parents before and during pregnancy to rule out risk factors will
go a long way to help.
A lot of
children with Cancer still die in Nigeria because treatment is widely
unavailable and expensive. These children are also brought late to hospitals
due to widespread ignorance and poverty.
Provision
of adequate healthcare facilities and education of the general populace can
help to reduce these unnecessary deaths.
These kids
need EVERY form of support they can get - physical, financial and
psychological.
Be a
child's "saviour" today!!!
Happy
Independence Day to Nigerians, both at home and diaspora.
xoxo
Dr. 'Lara
Reference
Cancers in
Children – Who’s to blame? -www.curbcancerng.com
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