Is Prevention Possible?

    Unfortunately, most childhood cancers truly have no known cause. While that has been highly studied, because wouldn't it be nice to prevent cancer, pediatric cancer causes haven't been found for most cancers. Childhood cancer isn't often caused by lifestyle or environmental factors like adult cancers can be. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, cancer prevention strategies in children should focus on preventing adult cancers in the future (x).

Some causes have been identified, but many are genetic predispositions that can't be changed with current technology. It's estimated that 6-8% of childhood cancers are caused by inherited genetic variations, like variations on the RB1 gene in retinoblastoma (x). Other genetic syndromes have also been identified, like Li Fraumini syndrome, a mutation in the P53 gene. Down Syndrome (trisomy 21) is also associated with increased risk of leukemia.

Environmental factors are hard to identify, which, according to the National Cancer Institute, is because childhood cancer is relatively rare and because it's harder to identify what children have been exposed to. That doesn't mean that no environmental factors have been identified. One is that children and teens with melanoma have similar melanomas to adults, which leads scientists to believe that UV rays are also responsible. Another example is ionizing radiation, which is thought to have caused the increase in childhood leukemias in Japan after the atomic bomb. The NCI also cites certain pesticides, tobacco, cured meats, and organic chemicals as being linked by research to childhood cancer (x).

Overall, there are not well recognized childhood cancer prevention strategies. You can keep up with news on childhood cancer causes with PREP 4 Gold's news page.