Childhood cancer differs from adult cancer in terms of type, development, and response to treatment. In children, cancer is considered to be a rare disease. In fact, pediatric cancers correspond to 1% of cancers detected each year.
Information on these types of cancers can be found in the answers to the questions below. For more details, you can consult the following sites:
The most common types of cancer in children are:
Treatment depends on the type of cancer, but it usually includes a combination of:
Several accommodation and transport solutions are in place to allow families to go see the child during treatment at the hospital. For example, vehicles may be made available by some car rental companies. In the same way, rooms may be offered by certain hotel companies or guest houses. For more information on the various existing solutions, do not hesitate to inquire on the u-links site of the French Society for the Fight against Cancers and Leukemia in Children and Adolescents (SFCE): https://u-link.eu/hebergement-et-transport
The outlook depends on the type of cancer, the stage at which it was discovered, and the response to treatment. Survival rates are improving thanks to advances in clinical research, new medications, and best management practices. Supportive care efforts are also ongoing to improve children's quality of life during and after treatment.
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that develops in the bone marrow. It is characterized by the rapid proliferation of abnormal blood cells, which invade and may eventually inhibit the production of normal blood cells. In children, this type of cancer can progress rapidly, often requiring immediate treatment.
Leukemias in children are mainly classified into two types, each of which has several subtypes:
Biomarkers and genetic mutations vary according to the type of leukemia and help guide therapeutic choices:
Treatments for pediatric leukemias include:
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is responsible for the body's immune defense. It is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. In children, there are two main types of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), each with specific characteristics and treatments.
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
Hodgkin lymphoma: NFkB Mutations and REL Amplification
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Translocation t (8; 14), TP53 Mutations and BCL2 Dysregulation, Genomic Anomalies in TCR and ALK
These treatments may vary in intensity and combination, depending on the age of the child, the general state of health, and the specific characteristics of the lymphoma. Continued progress in understanding the genetic basis of lymphomas in children is paving the way for treatments that are more targeted and potentially less toxic.
Neuroblastoma comes from sympathetic nerve tissue that is present in various places in the body (at the level of the adrenal, which is above the kidney, and throughout the spine). Neuroblastomas can therefore be abdominal, thoracic, cervical or pelvic. Moreover, more than half of neuroblastomas are detected at a metastatic stage, i.e. with a tumor that has spread to other parts of the body, especially in the bones and bone marrow.
Neuroblastomas are not traditionally classified into histological subtypes in the same way as other cancers, but they are often evaluated based on their histopathological presentation and risk categorization, which reflects important biological differences:
Neuroblastomas are characterized by various biomarkers and genetic mutations that have implications for prognosis and treatment options: we can find amplifications of MYCN, mutations in ALK, alterations in TP53.
The stage of a cancer makes it possible to determine the state of evolution of the cancerous tumor. The table below describes the stages for a neuroblastoma.
There are three main treatments for neuroblastoma: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The drugs used in chemotherapy are, most often, cisplatin, etoposide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide.
Retinoblastoma is a tumor found in a child's retina. In the majority of cases, it develops before the age of 5.
Retinoblastoma is mainly associated with alterations in the RB1 gene, which plays a key role in cell cycle regulation. But there may also be amplifications of MYCN or other genetic alterations.
The stage of a cancer makes it possible to determine the state of evolution of the cancerous tumor. The table below describes the stages for retinoblastoma.
Several treatments can be offered in a specialized center, the main ones of which are:
Nephroblastoma, also called Wilms tumor, is a cancer that affects the kidney in young children (it occurs between 1 and 5 years of age). This type of cancer develops in metanephrosis, a part of the embryonic kidney that will form the definitive kidney.
The main mutations involved in nephroblastomas are WT1 gene mutations, WTX gene abnormalities, MYCN amplifications, and TP53 amplifications.
The stage of a cancer makes it possible to determine the state of evolution of the cancerous tumor. The table below describes the stages for a nephroblastoma, defined for the International Society for Pediatric Oncology (SIOP).
To treat nephroblastoma, chemotherapy is first proposed to reduce the size of the tumor before surgery. The drugs most used for this chemotherapy are vincristine, actinomycin D, and adriamycin. The proposed surgery, called extended nephrectomy, involves the removal of the diseased kidney.
Hepatoblastoma is a liver cancer that occurs in the majority of cases before the age of 4. It is the most common type of malignant liver tumor in children. Although the overall incidence of hepatoblastoma is low, its recognition is crucial due to the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
The main gene involved in the transformation of liver cells into cancerous tumors is the oncogene -catenin. Activation of this gene may be associated with mutations in the following genes: NFE2L2, TERT, GPC3, RPS6KA3, and CREBBP.
The stage of a cancer makes it possible to determine the state of evolution of the cancerous tumor. The table below describes the stages for hepatoblastoma.
The main treatment for hepatoblastoma is preoperative chemotherapy (mostly based on cisplatin) to reduce the size of the tumor, an operation toremoval of the tumor Then finally a postoperative chemotherapy.
Note that for large tumors, a liver transplant may be considered.
How do cancerous tumors develop in children?.
Tumors in children tend to grow more quickly than in adults due to rapid cell division. However, they often respond well to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation.