10 things a pediatric oncologist wants you to know

1. Cancer is not rare.  Technically, childhood cancer is rare compared to adult cancer, but it’s not as rare as you think.   Outside of my work, I can think of 3 people who I know personally that had a childhood cancer.  A teammate on my high school basketball team, my sister-in-law, and a high school debate teammate.   My guess is that you also know someone from church, a coworker’s kid, or one of your kids’ classmates who has been affected by this disease. 2. Curing cancer and preventing cancer is not the same thing.  We do have a cure for the majority of childhood cancers.  Nearly 90 percent of children diagnosed with cancer will survive. We are not done.  The treatments stink.  We can do better.  10 percent still die from cancer or from the effects of their treatment.  This is why we advocate.  We advocate for better and more effective cures.  We will not rest until we have it perfect. 3. I know my drugs have side effects.  Trust me.  I know.  See above. 4. With the above #2 statement in mind, put sunscreen on yourself and your children.  Teach them about the dangers of tobacco and lifestyles of excess (i.e., food, alcohol, stress).  Take care of yourself and teach them how to take care of themselves. These are preventative measures. 5. Vaccines save lives.  Some of my patients lose the immunity that they once had from their vaccines.   Until they are strong enough to receive vaccines again, they are at risk from dying due to vaccine-preventable ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Conditions Oncology/Hematology Pediatrics Source Type: blogs