The field of pediatric oncology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of cancers in children and young adults. The type of cancer that a child may suffer is different from the cancers that adults suffer from. The doctors in pediatric oncology in Dubai-based Cancer Care Specialities MENA Department at Al Zahra Hospital have decades of experience in treating infants, children, and young adults who have cancer.

As a result of DNA changes in cells that occur during the early years of life may lead to childhood cancers. The types of childhood cancers are:

• • • BRAIN & SPINAL CORD TUMOR – In this type of cancer, abnormal cells start developing in the tissues of the brain and the spinal cord. The majority of the brain tumors diagnosed during childhood are removed through surgery. These types of tumors contribute to almost one-fourth of childhood cancers.

• • • LEUKEMIA – In this type of cancer, the body’s blood forming tissues gets adversely affected. It is not limited to tissue but it also affects bone marrow and lymphatic system. Leukemia accounts for almost one-third of all cancers in children.

• • • LYMPHOMA – Two main types of blood cancers together known as lymphoma that develops in the lymphatic system are – Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Both of these types of lymphoma cancers develop in children making up a combined 8 percent of childhood cancers.

• • • NEUROBLASTOMA – This rare type of cancer hardly affects children. It develops from the nerve cells in the fetus known as neuroblasts. This type of tumor generally develops in the adrenal gland and can sometimes be inherited too.

Childhood cancers and adult cancers differ in so many ways, so the treatment given to the children to treat cancer is also unique. Moreover, children bodies tend to handle chemotherapy more effectively than their adult’s counterpart. It might be possible that young children might suffer some effect of radiation therapy.

TREATMENTS OVERVIEW

• • • Surgery – It is the procedure of removal of tumor either cancerous or non-cancerous along with some surrounding healthy tissue.

• • • Chemotherapy – In this procedure, drugs are used to destroy cells usually ending their ability to grow and divide.

• • • Radiation therapy – In this type of therapy procedure, high-energy x-rays or other particles such as photons are used to destroy cancer cells.

• • • Immunotherapy – Also known as biologic therapy, it is designed to increase the body’s natural defenses to fight against cancer.

• • • Bone marrow transplantation – The bone marrow that contains cancer is replaced by highly specialized hematopoietic stem cells thereby developing into healthy bone marrow.

Quality care treatment for children suffering from cancer

At Cancer Care Specialties MENA, the dedicated team of pediatric oncology doctors, nurses and staff believe in providing the most amazing care experience to all children together with their families in Dubai. Our team ensures that the children receive the best treatment from the doctors who are experts in the field of pediatric oncology.