Treat children as children

Children’s cancers are very different from adult cancers. They occur in different parts of the body, they’re different at a molecular level and they respond differently to treatment. The impact of treatment and the long term side effects experienced by survivors of childhood cancer are also very different. Specialised childhood cancer research is vital to improving survival rates and the quality of survival. Therefore we need more treatment options for cancer in children. We urgently need kinder and safer treatments, specifically tailored to treat children without damaging their growing bodies. When dealing with cancer, a child with cancer may have to grow up more quickly and miss out on their childhood as they face the realities of having cancer. The whole process of dealing with a cancer diagnosis can seem utterly terrifying and incredibly isolating. During cancer treatment, it’s important that children hold onto their childhood – we must continue to treat children as a children as much as possible throughout their whole cancer journey.

Survey: Experiences of living with childhood cancer

In May 2021 we asked childhood cancer survivors and parents of childhood cancer survivors to fill in a survey about their experience of cancer. This research has given us really useful insights into the impact of cancer on a child’s lifestyle and experience growing up. Thank you to everyone who took part. Our childhood years are so crucial to our development in establishing relationships, making lifetime bonds with friends and laying the foundations of education leading to future careers. For many children, a cancer diagnosis severely impacts these key developments. That’s why it’s so important to shine the light on childhood cancer experiences. Here are the results from our survey:

Nick Goulden, Trustee at Children with Cancer UK, said:

We know the difference that more personalised, more effective treatments make to a patient’s life. These kinder, less toxic childhood cancer treatments not only increase survival rates but mean that they suffer fewer debilitating side effects – helping to ensure that more children can live their childhood and future lives as they should. We are continuing to fund research into different treatments so that ultimately more children can live their childhood at home with their family, playing with friends and learning in the classroom, rather than spending time in and out of hospital and suffering from the side effects of treatment.

About Children with Cancer UK’s Treat Children as Children polling:  Survey undertaken by OnePoll between 26th May to 15th June 2021. 114 UK adults who were diagnosed with cancer aged 0-24 and 227 UK parents/guardians of a child who was diagnosed with cancer aged 0-24 were polled.