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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
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• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Cancer is a group of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body's cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.

Normally, new cells form as you need them, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when you don't need them, and old cells don't die when they should. The extra cells can form a tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren't cancer. Malignant tumors are cancer, and the cancer cells can spread to nearby tissues. They can also break away and spread to other parts of the body.

Children can get cancer in the same parts of the body as adults, but there are differences. Childhood cancers may happen suddenly, without early symptoms. Some types can often be cured. The most common children's cancer is leukemia. Some of the other more common types of cancer in children include brain tumors, lymphoma, and soft tissue sarcoma.

Symptoms and treatment depend on the type of cancer and how advanced it is. Treatments may include:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Stem cell transplants
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• Cancer in Children and Adolescents (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Cancer (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Children with Cancer: A Guide for Parents (National Cancer Institute)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Finding and Diagnosing Cancer in Children (American Cancer Society)
• Stages of Childhood Extracranial Germ Cell Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Childhood Adrenocortical Carcinoma Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) Syndromes Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Thyroid Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Drugs Approved for Childhood Cancers (National Cancer Institute)
• Drugs Approved for Rhabdomyosarcoma (National Cancer Institute)
• Immunotherapy to Treat Cancer (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• Rare Cancers of Childhood Treatment (National Cancer Institute)
• Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Steroids for Treating Cancer (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Treatment Option Overview (Childhood Extracranial Germ Cell Tumors) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Bone Health After Cancer Treatment (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Care for Childhood Cancer Survivors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Coping with Cosmetic Effects of Cancer Treatment (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Going to School during and after Cancer Treatment (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Support for Families when a Child Has Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Effects of Cancer Treatment on Fertility (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Relapse or Recurrence (CureSearch for Children's Cancer)

Specifics

• Childhood Heart Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Midline Tract Carcinoma with NUT Gene Changes Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• General Information about Childhood Extracranial Germ Cell Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Other Rare Cancers of Childhood (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Rare Cancers of the Abdomen (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Rare Cancers of the Chest (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Rare Cancers of the Head and Neck (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Rare Cancers of the Reproductive and Urinary Systems (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Thyroid Cancer (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Mosaic variegated aneuploidy syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

• When Your Child Is Diagnosed with Cancer (National Cancer Institute)

Statistics and Research

• Advances in Childhood Cancer: Making Personalized Treatments a Reality (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Cancer Statistics (CureSearch for Children's Cancer)
• Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: An Overview (National Cancer Institute)

Clinical Trials

• Children's Assent to Clinical Trial Participation (National Cancer Institute)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Cancer in Children (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Oral microbiome diversity and composition before and after chemotherapy treatment in...
• Article: Efficacy and safety of larotrectinib as first-line treatment for patients with...
• Article: The effect of online cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in adolescents...
• Cancer in Children -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• Children's Oncology Group Cancer Center Locations (Children's Oncology Group)
• Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• NCI - Designated Cancer Centers (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Children

• Chemotherapy (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• What Is Cancer? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Cancer Basics (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Dealing with Cancer (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Radiation Therapy (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• A guide to help children understand cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Eating extra calories when you are sick - children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Questions to ask your child's doctor about cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish