Childhood Cancer
Treatment basics
To receive the best available treatment, it is essential that a child with a solid tumor be treated at a pediatric medical center by board-certified pediatric oncologists and pediatric surgeons with extensive experience treating the type of tumor the child has. For most children, treatment begins within days of diagnosis and requires aggressive supportive care. The goal of treatment is to achieve complete remission by killing all cancer cells as quickly as possible.
Treatment of childhood solid tumors includes one or more of the following:
• Surgery (see Chapter 14)
• Chemotherapy (see Chapter 15)
• Radiation therapy (see Chapter 17)
• Stem cell transplantation (see Chapter 18)
Table of Contents
All Guides- Introduction
- 1. Diagnosis
- 2. Bone Sarcomas
- 3. Liver Cancers
- 4. Neuroblastoma
- 5. Retinoblastoma
- 6. Soft Tissue Sarcomas
- 7. Kidney Tumors
- 8. Telling Your Child and Others
- 9. Choosing a Treatment
- 10. Coping with Procedures
- 11. Forming a Partnership with the Medical Team
- 12. Hospitalization
- 13. Venous Catheters
- 14. Surgery
- 15. Chemotherapy
- 16. Common Side Effects of Treatment
- 17. Radiation Therapy
- 18. Stem Cell Transplantation
- 19. Siblings
- 20. Family and Friends
- 21. Communication and Behavior
- 22. School
- 23. Sources of Support
- 24. Nutrition
- 25. Medical and Financial Record-keeping
- 26. End of Treatment and Beyond
- 27. Recurrence
- 28. Death and Bereavement
- Appendix A. Blood Tests and What They Mean
- Appendix B. Resource Organizations
- Appendix C. Books, Websites, and Support Groups