Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease among children under 15 in the UK, with approximately 1,900 children aged 0-14 diagnosed each year. Despite this, just under a third of parents report feeling confident in recognising the symptoms.
Paediatric oncologist Prof Bob Phillips advises parents to look for clusters of symptoms that persist, worsen, or grow. These include extreme tiredness, looking very pale, unexplained bruises, and lumps or bumps that are increasing in size or not disappearing.
Childhood cancers can develop more rapidly than adult cancers due to children's growth. Survival rates for childhood cancer in the UK are over 80%, a significant increase since the 1970s, with eight out of 10 children surviving five to 10 years or more after diagnosis. Experts are advocating for a national campaign to improve awareness and speed up diagnosis times.
Around half of children diagnosed with cancer in the UK receive their diagnosis within two weeks. However, Prof Phillips notes that the other half may face waits of 16 to 25 weeks from the onset of first symptoms to diagnosis.