Ananya Balu
Jun 27, 2024
The article highlights differences between cancer in children and adults.
Every year, around 1.9 million people are diagnosed with various types of cancer in the United States alone. 16,000 of 1.9 million diagnosed are children from the ages 0 to 19. Although all under the wide umbrella of a deadly illness, there are many differences between the symptoms, treatments and diagnosis for different age groups.
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Pediatric cancer is a fairly rare disease, with 1 in 285 children being diagnosed before they turn 20. It is frequently aggressive and comes about due to unknown causes of gene deletion or overexpression. Even if cured, there are many long-term side effects that persist for the rest of the patients’ lives due to treatments, etc. The most common types of Pediatric cancer are leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, and bone cancer. Due to the continued development of these kids’ bodies, there are different treatment types for the different age groups. The doses and mechanism of action of the treatment drug are extremely important.
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 On the other hand, in adults, incidences of getting cancer increase with age (ex. skin cancer). The most common types of cancer for anyone over the age of 20 include lung, colon, breast (women), prostate (men), and pancreatic. This illness appears in adults due to DNA mutations and/or lifestyle alterations. Compared to children, the doses and mechanism of action of the treatment drug are less important. Also, the side effects are much more manageable.
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 Overall, there are many differences to be considered when discussing adult cancer versus pediatric cancer. However, regardless of age, the illness is extremely dangerous and must be treated with care and haste.
Sources:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/cancer-in-young-adults/cancers-in-young-adults