Organisations come together to educate the public

Kwa-Thema – Parents visiting the local clinic on Tuesday morning received information about childhood cancer.
The awareness campaign was hosted by Kwa-Thema Clinic, in partnership with CanSurvive Cancer Support, and was supported by the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC).
Speaking at the event, Zukisa Mukwevho from CHOC emphasised the importance of parents being aware of their children’s health.
“It is important for parents or legal guardians to be able to detect early warning signs.
“When it comes to children, genetics and environmental factors play a dominant role.
“What we have seen previously is that parents seek medical attention whereas cancer has already spread and the child is critical,” she explained.

Also read: Five early warning signs of childhood cancer all parents should know

Parents are urged to seek medical help immediately should they see symptoms or suspect their child is ill.
“I am not saying every sign or symptom might mean the child has cancer, but parents need to have the necessary information, for example, if a child has a cough for two weeks don’t sit on that.
“Consult with your local health practitioners,” said Mukwevho.
Cancers in children tend to be different to those found in adults, with most occurring in the developing cells such as bone marrow, blood, kidneys and nervous system tissues.

Also read: All about breast cancer during pregnancy

According to the South African Children’s Cancer Study Group (SACCSG) registry, statistics the five most common childhood cancers in South Africa are:
• leukaemia
• lymphoma (tumours that begin in the lymph glands)
• brain tumours
• nephroblastomas or Wilms tumours – cancer of the kidneys
• soft tissue sarcomas (tumours that begin in the connective tissue).
The clinic is working on implementing the campaign monthly.
For parents who would like to make enquiries to CHOC, contact Muzi Ngwenya on 011 326 1717.

Follow us on our social media platforms: