It’s heart-breaking to see a child that’s seriously ill, particularly when they’ve got cancer and might not survive. But children do get the disease – and it’s being highlighted during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Fortunately, it’s not common. But every day in the UK, 10 families receive a cancer diagnosis for their child, teenager or young adult, and it’s the leading cause of death in children under 14, according to the charity Children With Cancer UK (CWCUK). However, Jeanette Hawkins, chief nurse at the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (funded by Young Lives vs Cancer), stresses that childhood cancer isn’t as rare as people might think, with a similar risk as diabetes, epilepsy and bacterial meningitis. “Use of the word rare for childhood cancer is a barrier to diagnosis as both GPs and parents therefore don’t consider it’s possible,” she explains. “Families, on average, have three to five GP visits before cancer is suspected. We need to reduce that by increasing awareness. Remember that childhood cancer is often a constellation of non-specific persistent symptoms, rather than a single ‘red flag’ that would alert a GP. “If you’re worried about your child keep going back.” Christiana Ogunbote, head of research at CWCUK, says childhood cancer accounts for less than 1% of all cancers in the UK, and explains there are 12 main categories of cancers affecting children, with the most common being leukaemia (30%), brain, central nervous system (CNS), intracranial tumours (26%) and lymphomas (11%). Ogunbote says cancer symptoms in children can vary widely depending on the cancer type and where it is in the body, but points out: “Often the individual symptoms of cancer can be similar to common childhood illnesses, so it can be hard to identify. “If a symptom progresses or doesn’t get better as quickly as expected, we would suggest getting it checked out by a medical professional. It’s useful for parents who know what’s ‘normal’ for their child to be aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer, as earlier diagnosis will support better outcomes for children and young people.” Here, Ogunbote outlines the symptoms of the three most common childhood cancers… 1. Leukaemia Symptoms of leukaemia in children and babies, which may be acute myeloid or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), can include frequent and persistent infections, unusual bleeding and/or bruising, tiredness, paleness, breathlessness and, with ALL, coughing and anaemia. “Childhood leukaemia develops quickly,” says Ogunbote. “but it’s possible for some or all of these symptoms to be apparent.” She says a leukaemia diagnosis can be made from a blood test, which may reveal low numbers of normal white blood cells and large numbers of abnormal white blood cells. Further tests will then be done on a sample of bone marrow to confirm the diagnosis. 2. Brain and spinal tumours The symptoms of brain and spinal tumours (central nervous system tumours) vary between age groups, says Ogunbote, but symptoms in babies may include persistent/recurrent vomiting, balance/co-ordination/walking problems, abnormal eye movements or suspected loss of vision, behaviour change (particularly lethargy), fits or seizures (not with a fever), abnormal head position such as head tilt or stiff neck, and increasing head circumference. Children’s brain tumour symptoms are similar to symptoms in babies, but may also include a persistent/recurrent headache, blurred or double vision, fits or seizures, reduced consciousness and abnormal growth. Ogunbote says symptoms vary depending on the type and site of the tumour, and develop much more slowly with low grade tumours. But she stresses: “It’s important to remember that many of these symptoms are extremely common, and experiencing one by itself is rarely a sign of a brain tumour.” A CT or MRI scan will be done if a brain tumour is suspected, and if the scan confirms the diagnosis, further investigations will determine the type of tumour and best treatment. 3. Lymphoma Children may get a cancer of the lymphatic system known as either Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Ogunbote says symptoms of both include a persistent (lasting a few weeks) painless swelling of a single lymph gland, usually in the neck, or possibly in the armpit or groin with non-Hodgkin, a cough or breathlessness (if glands in the chest are affected), fevers, sweats, and weight loss. There may be itching with Hodgkin lymphoma, and with non-Hodgkin there may be tiredness, feeling full after a small meal, stomach pains (if abdominal lymph glands are affected), and sleep sweats. Diagnosis is confirmed by removing part or all of an affected lymph gland, usually under general anaesthetic, and doing a biopsy on it so the cells can be examined in a laboratory. Further tests, like x-rays, CT and MRI scans and blood tests, will also be carried out to determine the size and position of the lymphoma and whether it has spread. This is known as staging. “Many of the symptoms of lymphoma can also be symptoms of other illnesses, so this can make it difficult to diagnose,” explains Ogunbote. “Symptoms your child might experience depend on where the lymphoma is in their body, and symptoms vary from child to child, even if they have the same type of lymphoma.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 4 viral TikTok make-up trends you’ll actually want to try Daily aspirin dose could help prevent diabetes in older people – researchers Secondhand September: The best places to buy pre-loved fashion online

North Korea's Kim Jong Un expressed his "heartfelt thanks" to President Vladimir Putin, state media said Monday, as he headed home after nearly a week...

The duo went viral this past weekend after being confronted for vandalizing and tearing down posters of kidnapped Israeli children in Brooklyn, NY

The Democratic governor in Kansas is defending changes in the sex listings on transgender people’s birth certificates in federal court

Asian equities were mixed on Monday following a US jobs report that left investors weighing the chances of another Federal...

More than 140 world leaders will head to the United Nations next week at a time of myriad crises, as a starring role for Ukraine's leader may...

Israel and Hamas prepared for a third day of hostage releases from Gaza, after a last-minute dispute on

'Paul Reubens was like no one else, a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time,' wrote Jimmy Kimmel

Carlos Alcaraz played for the second straight day at Wimbledon and won again

Chareleston White accuses Adin Ross of deceiving him during their LA trip claiming he was tricked into participating in a live stream with others

Following the arraignment of Donald Trump on federal criminal charges, more of the Republican primary candidates appear to be finding their footing and changing their tune from their initial response to the indictment against him. One particularly vocal critic from the get-go has been former Trump ally and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has long-aligned himself as anti-Trump and is now running against him for the 2024 GOP nomination. During an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Christie did not hold back when asked how he would differentiate himself on the debate stage from Mr Trump. America’s Newsroom host Bill Hemmer asked him where the two candidates disagree on the issues, noting that they seem in lockstep on some giving the examples of abortion and social security. “He’s a failure. He’s a failed leader. We gave him a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and he failed. He failed us, Bill,” said the former governor. “And he failed us by losing the house by losing the Senate and by turning over the White House to Joe Biden, and the most liberal administration and ineffective administration since Jimmy Carter.” Mr Christie continued, running through his record as governor: “Is that the type of leadership we want or do we want someone who has governed in a blue state, showing you can win independent voters, get 61 per cent of the vote for reelection in a state like New Jersey as a Republican, and works with a Democratic legislature to get pension reform; to fire the Camden City Police Department leading to a 75 per cent reduction in the murder rate; and gave more educational choice than in any blue state in the country, more charter schools and choice in the city of Newark, and did that with a Democratic legislature?” The one-time ally of Mr Trump then really went for the jugular, saying: “Is that what we need in Washington or do we need Donald Trump whining, moaning and making everything about him?” He added: “He doesn’t care about the American people, Bill. He’s putting himself first and if you watch that speech yesterday, at Bedminster — where is he talking about America and the American people and their concerns and their needs?” Mr Christie concluded: “This next administration if Donald Trump is president will be all about retribution for him personally, is that the show we want to watch? Is that the rerun of The Apprentice we want to watch?” The former governor appeared on a CNN town hall on Monday night (12 June) in which he also tore into Mr Trump, accusing the former president of “vanity run amok.” “The conduct in there is awful,” Mr Christie said of the former president’s indictment over the trove of classified documents he took with him when leaving office. The former New Jersey governor, who had joined the race to be the Republican Party nominee the week before, also compared Mr Trump to “Voldemort” from the Harry Potter books. Read More Fox News walks back ‘wannabe dictator’ insult aimed at Biden over Trump arrest Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’ and accuses him of ‘vanity run amok’ Chris Christie town hall: Christie slams ex-president as poll shows slight bump in favorability Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement

An international investigation office seen as a "truly historic" first step towards a possible trial of Russia's leadership opened in The Hague on Monday to probe...