19 July 2025

Signs of Cancer in Children

The symptoms of cancer in children are almost similar to other health disorders. However, in cancer patients, the condition tends to persist, often recurs, and does not go away.

Here are some common cancer symptoms found in children:

1. Recurring fever without a clear reason
   When a child has a fever, their immune system is at work. Typically, children experience fever when they have an infection, after vaccinations, or due to weather changes. However, there is a type of fever that parents should be concerned about—recurrent fever with no clear cause. This could be a sign of leukemia in children.

2. Sudden bleeding
   Does your child frequently have nosebleeds or other unexpected bleeding? If nosebleeds occur too often, at least five times a month, this should be watched carefully, as it may indicate cancer. In addition to nosebleeds, children with cancer are also prone to bruising, swelling, and bleeding gums.

3. Lumps in various parts of the child's body
   Another sign of cancer in children is the appearance of lumps or swelling in areas such as the neck, abdomen, chest, or other unusual parts of the body. This condition is caused by the enlargement of lymph nodes, which can be an early sign of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

4. Unexplained weight loss
   Children with cancer often experience unexplained weight loss. This happens because cancer reduces the child's appetite, causes nausea, and often leads to vomiting.

5. Frequent headaches and vomiting
   Frequent headaches accompanied by morning vomiting are signs of cancer that need attention. This can be a sign of brain cancer or soft tissue sarcoma in children. In addition to occurring in the morning, headaches as a sign of cancer may strike the child repeatedly, without a specific time.

Other unusual conditions, aside from those mentioned above, include symptoms that the child has never experienced before. Some of them include:

1. Blood in urine

2. Persistent stomach pain or swelling

3. Frequent night awakenings due to body pain, especially in the back or bones

4. Seizures without a cause

5. Behavior and mood changes

How can cancer affect children?
Childhood cancer generally occurs due to genetic mutations or DNA changes in body cells. These changes can happen from birth or even while still in the womb. Additionally, genetic factors from family medical history also contribute to cancer in children. Environmental factors, such as exposure to chemicals and radiation, are also known to increase the risk of cancer in children. Given that childhood cancer remains not fully understood, early detection is the best way to manage cancer in children.

How to prevent childhood cancer
Parents should take preventive measures against cancer even before their child is born, by regularly monitoring their pregnancy to anticipate cancer or other non-communicable diseases. Some diagnostic procedures include X-rays, biopsies, blood tests, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds. If the child’s tests indicate cancer, doctors will recommend treatment options based on the type, stage, and spread of the cancer.

Reviewed by: dr. Innosensius Ibnu Ishwara, M.K.K.

Source: Mitra Keluarga Hospital Health Article

Photo: freepik.com