This is one of the leading causes of death among boys and girls under the age of 14. According to EPS Famisanar, while survival rates depend on timely care from the healthcare system, they increase significantly when parents are alert to the symptoms.

Cancer is a tragedy at any age—for the patient, their family, and their close circle—but it is even more devastating when the one affected is a child. This disease is generally associated with old age. However, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), childhood cancer is one of the main causes of death among the population aged 0 to 18. One of the biggest challenges is that its causes are still unknown, and therefore, it cannot be prevented.

Adding to this challenge is the difficulty of early diagnosis, which is directly related to survival rates. According to the World Health Organization, in high-income countries where early diagnosis is possible, “more than 80 percent of children affected by cancer are cured, while in low- and middle-income countries, less than 30 percent are cured.” In Latin America, PAHO estimates the survival rate at 55 percent, and in Colombia, according to the Ministry of Health, it reaches 60 percent.

According to data from Globocan, each year 1,525 children aged 0 to 14 in Colombia are diagnosed with cancer, which is an incidence rate of 13.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Leukemia is the most common, with an incidence rate of 5.7. It is followed by brain cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney cancer, with incidence rates of 1.6, 1.1, and 1.1 respectively. Each year, 573 deaths are reported, with a mortality rate of 5.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, which remains a high figure.

EPS Famisanar emphasizes that, as with other types of cancer at different life stages, the chances of survival for children who suffer from it depend on early diagnosis and prompt care by the healthcare system. That’s why, in 2010, the national government enacted Law 1388, which established a set of measures to expedite medical attention for those who might be suffering from this disease.

Although Colombia's regulatory framework supports fast diagnosis and EPS and IPS (healthcare providers) have significantly improved their protocols for caring for children with cancer, early detection largely depends on the parents or close caregivers, as they are the ones who can spot the symptoms.

In that regard, and aiming to increase the chances of early diagnosis, EPS Famisanar shares a list of symptoms that could indicate a possible case of cancer, encouraging parents to seek medical attention in a timely manner:

• Fever
• Sweating
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Unexplained bleeding or bruising
• Abdominal swelling
• Red spots and bruises on arms and legs
• Persistent pain in the abdomen, bones, or joints
• Lumps in the neck
• Swollen lymph nodes that don’t go down

Prevention and early detection are key to treating the disease and avoiding mortality.

Childhood cancer is not a death sentence. In the case of leukemia, the survival rate in Colombia exceeds 60 percent, according to PAHO. But in order for this probability to continue increasing, we must remain vigilant to the warning signs in our children.