What is Cancer Therapy?

Cancer therapy for children is most often called pediatric oncology.

It is one of the most ruthless forms of cancer because it attacks young defenseless children.

If you spend any time learning about cancer and pediatric oncology you'll undoubtedly discover that there are many stories of young lives taken much too soon to this horrible disease.

In their efforts to fight their cancer children must undergo painful medical oncology treatments

Types of Cancer Treatment For Children

The main types of cancer treatment for children are:

1. Chemotherapy, 2. Radiation Therapy, and;3. Surgery to remove the cancer.

ChemotherapyChemotherapy is a type of treatment

that kills cancer cells but damages normal human cells.

This type of treatment can cause severe side effects and long lasting health implications.

The damage depends greatly on how long chemotherapy is performed and how long the child is exposed to this type of treatment.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that can make tumors smaller by using high energy rays.

Radiation therapy can be used as a stand alone treatment or it can be used prior to or after surgery.

It can also be harmful to normal cells, not just cancer cells so there is a risk of severe side effects.

Surgery Surgery can be one of the most

effective forms of cancer treatment.

Surgery can major or minor, depending on the size of the cancerous area and progression of the disease.

One of the main considerations doctors have when performing this type of surgery is to try to take out as much of the cancer as possible without removing healthy tissue (or only removing very little healthy tissue).

Pediatric Cancer Centers

It is important to know when you are looking for a cancer center for children that you find one that is a member of the Children's Oncology Group (COG).

Most of these types of facilities are non-profit organizations with the sole mission of helping kids fight cancer and other related diseases.

Beyond fighting the sickness these types of facilities also help children cope with what they have.

Generally speaking, almost 71% of all people who initially find out they have cancer are treated in medical facilities accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) by the American College of Surgeons so this is also important to look for when seeking treatment as you can be assured that these centers have the highest level of care available to your child.

Find out more about oncology in New Jersey at one of the many cancer treatment centers. 

Many are also  housed in large facilities with general New Jersey Medical doctors that can also treat other kinds of illnesses.