DIAGNOSING CHILDHOOD CANCER

Each year in the United States approximately 13,400 children between the ages of birth and 19 years of age are diagnosed with cancer.

Many childhood cancers have much higher survival rates when they are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. Unfortunately, childhood cancers are sometimes overlooked or misdiagnosed because early symptoms are mistakenly attributed to more common injuries or illnesses. It is recommended that children have regular medical check-ups, and that parents pay close attention to the development of unusual signs or chronic symptoms, such as:

• Persistent fever, nausea, or illness, often accompanied by vomiting
• Tendency to bruise easily
• Unusual lump or swelling (particularly around the neck, abdomen, chest, pelvis, or armpits)
• Loss of energy and pale complexion
• Headaches, often with early morning vomiting
• Lingering pain in one area of the body
• Abrupt vision changes
• A whitish color behind the pupil
• Sudden weight loss
• Limping

http://www.acco.org/about-childhood-cancer/diagnosis/