Warning signs of cancer in children:

There are so many warning signs and symptoms of cancer in children.However, in children many diseases are usually diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, as children cannot explain their condition.

As a parent or healthcare provider, you should be aware of the following signs and symptoms and take them seriously. If your child is not feeling well and showing the following symptoms.

Unexplained fever:

 A fever is usually a sign of infection in normal diseases or conditions, but an unexplained fever without any cause should be considered serious.

If the fever is related to cancer, it will not respond to any kind of antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungal medications, because fever due to any kind of infection, whether it’s bacterial, viral, or fungal, usually settles with medications. But a fever related to cancer will settle only if cancer treatment is started.

What is the reason for fever in cancer?

 In a cancer patient, the patient’s immunity is compromised, and this weak immune system does not fight infections. Secondly, cancer cells are dividing very fast, which results in inflammatory processes in the body, resulting in high temperature.

How fever in cancer is treated?

In cancer patients, fever settles with treatment. When the inflammation subsides, the fever settles, but after giving chemotherapy drugs, there are also chances of fever, because chemotherapy drugs kill normal cells besides killing cancer cells. This again drops the patient’s immunity. This further makes the patient high-risk for infections.

What are the complications of spontaneous fever?

If the fever is not settling, it could be a serious complication. The patient will experience the following complications.

Septic shock:

Due to compromised immunity in cancer, the patient is at high risk for infection. In case of uncontrolled infection or continuous fever, the patient may go into a serious condition known as septic shock. In this condition, patients need aggressive and critical treatment to save their lives.

So, it is important to manage and contact your healthcare professional before this condition.

Hypovolemic shock:

A very low level of fluid in the body due to continuous high body temperature. As a human being loses fluid in the form of sweat or breathing, this results in low fluid inside the body, which is further complicated by dropped blood pressure, high pulse rate, and fast breathing.

What are the symptoms of fever in a cancer patient?

The following are the signs of fever.

 Body temperature is more than 101°F.

Body aches, headaches, weakness, dry skin, dry mouth, etc.

Not settling for any medication.

High pulse Rate:

A high pulse rate due to dehydration causes the body to demand a greater blood supply from the heart, which in turn results in the heart beating faster, leading to an increased pulse rate. You can manage this by giving your child more fluids

Perianal pain:Warning signs of cancer in children:

Most patients with blood cancer presented with perianal pain. This may be due to various factors such as,

• Infection in the perianal area due to compromised immunity
• After starting treatment of cancer called chemotherapy, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed, such as mouth ulcers. This leads to perianal pain.
• In some cases, this kind of pain is due to a tumor in the rectum.
• Some chemotherapy drug causes constipation, which causes pain while straining to pass stool.

Black stools:Warning signs of cancer in children:

If your child passes black stools, do not ignore it; seek medical attention on an urgent basis. The black color is due to

Skin changes:Warning signs of cancer in children:

 Skin changes involve its color, such as pale, bluish, or any swelling without pain, and cysts are usually present.

Change in appearance:Warning signs of cancer in children:

 If your child looks pale, lethargic, and dull or has bluish patches on the skin or bleeding from gums, in urine or stool, you must consult with a doctor. This may occur due to a low level of hemoglobin or platelets.

Low energy level: Warning signs of cancer in children:

 Children usually feel so energetic in their daily activities, but if your child feels down or is not taking an interest in activities without any exact cause, or feels lethargic, must consult with their healthcare provider. This may be due to something wrong going on inside his body.

Lack of interest in activities:

If your child is feeling weak, pale, and does not want to play without a clear reason, they should consult their healthcare provider.

Shortness of breath:

 If a healthy person, complains of shortness of breath on exertion, or feeling fatigued on a little exercise or daily activities.This should be taken serious, it happens if something wrong with your heart, lungs or due to low hemoglobin level, which could be a sign of cancer.

As, low level of hemoglobin could be due to many other reasons such as iron deficiency or other inherited diseases such as thalassemia. Must consult with your healthcare provider in such a situation.

Weight loss:

Weight loss is one of the significant symptoms of cancer. If your child is losing weight, besides fulfilling all nutritional requirements.

This condition is due to the consumption of food by the cancer cells, as the cancer cells divide very fast, for which they need more energy. So, in case of weight loss, you must consult with your physician for a proper workup.

Joint or muscle pain:

Joint pain or muscle pain is another symptom of cancer. It is due to so many reasons as follows.

If the cancer develops in the bone, the bone tumor will exert pressure on the side organs, muscles, or nerves; this will result in pain,

Inflammation:

Pain in cancer also occurs due to inflammatory processes in the body, which is due to the growth of new cells and the body’s response to these newly formed cells.

Lack of appetite:

 Patients usually experience a lack of appetite when the cancer develops in their body; it is due to the changes in the body caused by the chemicals released by the cancer cells, which suppress the appetite.

So, in case of loss of appetite without any known reason, it should be taken seriously as an issue, and you should consult your healthcare provider for further workup of your child.

In such a case, your child will even refuse his/her favorite food; this should be alarming to parents.

Once the cancer treatment is started, the lack of appetite may also be due to the side effects of chemotherapy.

In this case, offer small, frequent meals to your child, give his favorite food, and also give a small quantity, but it should be packed with calories, such as shakes, or ice creams, etc.