LISTEN: Early childhood cancer detection crucial - KZN oncologist
A leading KwaZulu-Natal oncologist says childhood cancer is far more prevalent in South Africa than most people think.
September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The acting head of paediatrics, haematology and oncology at Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, Kamalina Coopasamy, says many children between the ages of 0-14 years are diagnosed with cancer on a daily basis.
Dr Coopasamy says it's crucial to detect the disease at an early stage to avoid any further complications.
"So we have leukaemia, and in children between 0 to 14 years, they form about 20 per cent of all cancers. In lymphoma, we may have about 74 cases that we have a year. So it varies in different malignancies."
Coopasamy says families whose children are battling with the disease need a lot of support from their communities.
"Childhood cancer affects the whole family, and this is why when we treat children with cancer, we don't just treat the patient. We treat the family.
"At least one in four families lose up to 40 per cent of their annual household income because their child has cancer - either from work-related disruptions or they may even decide to leave their jobs to focus on their children."
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