September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In Slovakia, around 200 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Statistics show, however, that thanks to medical advances, it can be successfully treated. Doctors emphasize that early diagnosis is crucial, even for the youngest patients.
One successfully treated patient is Nikola Zavadzanová. She was diagnosed with lymphoma nine years ago. “I was 17 at the time. It was very stressful for me when I came to the ward and saw even two-year-old children also being treated for cancer,” she recalled.
According to statistics, 80 percent of young patients manage to beat the disease. “Children are much more sensitive to chemotherapy compared to tumors that occur in adulthood. They can withstand higher treatment intensity and have a greater ability to regenerate,” explained Pavel Bician, head of the Clinic of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology at the Slovak Medical University.
The key is early diagnosis. Oncologists admit that this is challenging due to the many different types of the disease. “I found a lump on my neck. They told me it wasn’t serious, just a cyst. But I insisted it be removed. After three weeks, it turned out to be cancer,” said recovered patient Nikola Zavadzanová.
“In general, whether parents or pediatricians—if there are any clinical symptoms that do not progress as normally expected, one must consider whether this disease could be the cause,” Bician warned.
Despite the encouraging numbers, treatment is demanding and lasts for several months. That is why patient support organizations also provide help to children and their families. Social workers and psychologists, for example, assist them.
“The goal is to make this period bearable. We also support mothers so they can take turns, and so that other family members from far away can stay near the hospital, even if they cannot visit every day,” added Igor Obšajsník, director of the NGO Svetielko nádeje (Little Light of Hope).
Source: STVR
