Oncology

How can you suspect cancer in a child?

There are no specific symptoms that will help detect oncology at an early stage. First of all, manifestations of the disease depend on the type of cancer and its localization, the stage of the disease.

Besides that, there are non-specific symptomsthat will make it possible to suspect something is wrong and to examine the child in detail for cancer screening:

• prolonged subfebrile (37-38 ) and febrile (38-39 ) fever for no apparent reason;
• unmotivated weight loss;
• long-term and persistent increase in peripheral lymph nodes;
• frequent headache;
• frequent nausea and unexplained vomiting;
• periodic loss of consciousness;
• bruises for no reason appearance, signs of increased bleeding;
• chronic fatigue, impaired concentration and memory;
• long-term and treatment (resistant anemia);
• low-energy fractures(without excessive force action, for example, when falling from a height of one's own height).

If you notice several of these signs described above in your child, make sure to see a doctor.

Diagnostic methods of children's oncological diseases at Maimonides Clinic

Making up examination plan, child's age and individual needs are taken into account. All procedures are performed in the most delicate mode. If diagnosis requires invasive interventions, then all such manipulations are performed under sedation (medicated sleep) in order to avoid any pain sensations in child, fear and psychological discomfort.

The entire arsenal of the latest laboratory and instrumental methods of examination is used to make a diagnosis:

• ultrasound diagnostics;
• general clinical, biochemical, hormonal blood tests, urine, tumor markers of various tumor diseases in blood, etc.;
• cytological and histological methods of tumor verification;
• radiological examinations – digital radiography, computer (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron (or two-photon) emission tomography (PET);
• tumors biopsy;
• endoscopic methods of examination (fibrogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, laparoscopy, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, etc.);
• radionuclide methods of organ scanning.

The fact is that an oncological diagnosis consists of following components: the name of tumor, its localization and the stage of disease.

The required treatment type and its amount will depend on each of these points. Therefore, before planning the necessary range of interventions, doctor must get answers to all these questions. Only in this way the treatment program will be complete and successful.

How children's oncology is treated at Maimonides Medical Center

General treatment principles of childhood tumor diseases little bit differ from those in adult oncology. As a rule, treatment program is complex, that is, it includes immediately or sequentially a combination of two or more therapy methods. Everything depends on specific diagnosis (as indicated above – the name of tumor, its localization and the stage of disease).

1. Surgical interventions

Surgery is one of the main and radical treatment methods in oncology. It is extremely rarely used as monotherapy (that is, the only way to treat cancer). More often it is used in combination with other methods – with chemotherapy, radiation methods, etc.

The main principle of pediatric surgery, which we follow in our clinic, is organ-sparing interventions where it is really possible.

Our aim is not only to preserve the babies life, but also its quality. We also actively use minimally invasive interventions, which significantly reduce pain, accelerate recovery after surgery, and reduce postoperative complications risk.

2. Chemotherapy

This is treatment method of malignant tumors by injecting drugs into the body that stop malignant cells growth. As a rule, it is not used as monotherapy.

Specialists combine chemotherapy with surgical interventions (for example, before surgery to reduce the size of primary tumor and transfer it to an operable state, or after surgery to finally destroy those malignant cells that may have remained after surgical intervention).

Sometimes chemotherapy can be used as an independent method of treatment, but only with a palliative purpose.

Only original drugs from well-known European, Israeli and American manufacturers are used for cancer treatment at Maimonides Clinic. Due to the high quality of medicines, side effects risk is minimized.

3. Radial therapy

This treatment method in which malignant cells are destroyed under the action of ionizing radiation)It can be used as an independent treatment method (for example, with tumors of larynx, nasopharynx), and in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy.

In our clinic, radiation therapy scheme is selected individually. Only modern and safe equipment is used . All individual cases are monitored by Israeli doctors with experience in this field.

In addition to described basic treatment methods, our doctors have the latest methods of influencing malignant tumors in children:

• Hormone therapy
  is an effective treatment for cancers that are sensitive to certain hormones.
• Immunotherapy
  also known as biological therapy. Applying this method,we inject special substances into the body that "teach" our immune system to recognize and attack malignant cells.
• Targeted therapy
  is a collective concept that unites various types of anticancer drugs that cannot be classified as classical chemotherapeutic or hormonal drugs.
  Targeted drugs are aimed specifically at specific tumor cells. They are "trained" to block signals that promote tumor growth, or "give the command" to self-destruct all parasitic cells in human body.

The main practice principle at Maimonides Multidisciplinary Medical Center in the field of pediatric oncology is as follows:
"During diagnosis and treatment, we apply a multidisciplinary approach. The examination and therapy plan is developed by a team of specialists of various profiles under the leadership of well-known Israeli doctors with experience in the field of pediatric oncology."