“Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body (What is cancer, n.d.).” The human body is made up of trillions of cells, which grow and multiply to form new cells when the body needs them. When cells become damaged or grow old, they die, and are replaced by new cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, sometimes the abnormal or damaged cells multiply when they shouldn’t. These abnormal cells may form tumors, which are lumps of tissue. There are two types of tumors known as benign (not cancerous) and malignant (cancerous). Cancerous tumors spread to other parts of the body while benign tumors do not (What is cancer, n.d.).
Can cancer be cured? This depends on the type and stage of cancer, type of treatment, and other factors. Some cancers are more likely to be cured than others and they each require different treatment (American Cancer Society, 2021). There is not one cure for cancer.
Cure – the cancer has gone away with treatment, no more treatment is needed, and the cancer is not expected to come back.
Remission – a period of time when the cancer is responding to treatment or under control.
Depending on the child’s stage of development, here are a few key words you can use when explaining Cancer to children:
• Cells – basic components or building blocks of your body
• Cancer – a group of abnormal cells in your body that grow really fast
• Tumor – lump of cancer cells
According to National Cancer Institute, the most common cancers include:
• Breast cancer
• Lung and bronchus cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Colon and rectum cancer
• Melanoma of the skin
• Bladder cancer
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Kidney and renal pelvis cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Leukemia
• Pancreatic cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Liver cancer
Cancer Facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Nearly 1.6 million people are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year (CDC, 2020).
• Risk factors for preventable cancers include: smoking, UV radiation from the sun or tanning beds, having obesity, and drinking too much alcohol (CDC, 2020).
• Some cancers (like breast and cervical cancer) can be caught early through screening (CDC, 2020).
Resources
- Websites
• https://www.cancer.org/
• https://www.cancer.gov/
• https://www.cancer.net/
• https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/
• https://www.cityofhope.org/homepage - Books
• https://www.cancer.org/american-cancer-society-books.html - Applications
• BELONG Beating Cancer Together
• Cancer.Net Mobile
• Breast Cancer Healthline
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References
Can cancer be cured? American Cancer Society. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/can-cancer-be-cured.html.
Cancer statistics. National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/cancer.htm.
What is cancer? National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer.