A MEDICAL expert has said childhood cancers is more aggressive than adult cancers.
Dr. James Banjoko, who spoke on “Early sign, symptoms of childhood cancer”, noted that childhood cancer was a leading cause of deaths in children.
Ikeja Unique Lions Club, as part of 2022 World Literacy and Paediatric Cancer Day, initiated a programme to sensitise pupils of Ogudu Junior High School in Ikeja, Lagos State, on how to fight childhood cancer.
Club’s President, Abiodun Wilkey said the club took the message to pupils because of their level of assimilation and knowledge in related subjects taught in schools.
“Their level of assimilation is high and they can understand what we have just said because they are being taught biology, chemistry and these kind of subjects to enable them understand what we are telling them about cells, cancer and all that.”
He said caring for children with cancers have significant emotional trauma and financial drain on parents and caregivers, hence the need for awareness.
“In 80 per cent of cases, a child’s cancer diagnosis is delayed until the disease is advanced and has spread to other parts of the body.
“As a stark comparison, this only occurs in 20 per cent of adult cancer cases. Childhood cancers tend to be more aggressive than adult cancers, so this late diagnosis can significantly affect the five-year survival probability of the child,”he said.
“Each year, approximately 400,000 children and adolescents of 0-19 years old are diagnosed with cancer,”he said.