Friday, March 29, 2024
DiseasesNews

International Children Cancer Day

Today is International Childhood Cancer Day which highlights the need for concerted global actions to address the growing challenge posed by this non-communicable disease. Globally, childhood and adolescent cancer is threatening to overtake infectious diseases, as one of the highest causes of disease-related mortality in children.

According to IARC (2015), the reported worldwide incidence of childhood cancer is increasing, from 165,000 new cases annually to 215,000 cases for children 14 years and younger and 85,000 new cases for 15-19 year-olds. Many more remain uncounted and unreported due to a lack of childhood cancer registries in a large number of countries.

While the number of children with cancer is much less compared to global incidence of adult cancers, the number of lives saved is significantly higher; survival rates in high-income countries reach an average of 84% and are steadily improving even in less-resourced areas of the world where there is local and international support. In our country children cancer can be prevented from 65% to 70% cases.

The campaign’s ultimate goal and unified message is “Better access to Care for Children & Adolescents with Cancer Everywhere”. This message spotlights the inequities and glaring disparity of access to care in most low- and middle-income countries where 80% of children with cancer live. Children and adolescents in Africa, Asia and Latin America and in parts of Eastern and Southern Europe do not yet have access to appropriate treatment including essential medicines and specialized care. Currently, where one lives often determines one’s ability to survive childhood cancer.

The most common cancers of children are leukemia, brain and spinal cord tumors, neuroblastoma, wilms tumor, lymphoma (including both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin), rhabdomyosarcoma, retinoblastoma, bone cancer (including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma)

50-60 new cases of children cases have recorded annually in Armenia. The diagnosis and treatment has implemented within the framework of state order in National Oncology Center of MoH of RA, Hematology Center after R. Yolyan and “Muratsan” University Hospital Chemotherapy Clinic of YSMU.

It is invaluable the role of “Give Life” Charity Foundation and honorary president of the Board of Trustees Rita Sargsyan in the treatment of children with cancer. The Foundation supports patients in permanently solving the problems associated with the treatment of children, an expensive drug withdrawal, when necessary, to assist in their treatment of hematological and oncological clinics outside the organization as well as the recently modernized Hematology Center after R. Yolyan. New services and equipped center has the potential to rise and sick children and adults’ treatment efficiency to the international standards. Diagnosis of blood diseases is carried out in accordance with the latest international methods and standards. At the same time, the center established a unique bone marrow transplantation department of the region, due to which the patients are no longer forced to look abroad for their salvation.

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