I am worried my child may have cancer
What should I be aware of?
If you are reading this, you may be concerned that your child or a child you know may have cancer. It is important to remember that their symptoms are much more likely to be due to a common childhood complaint or illness, but it is better to be careful.
Occasionally, however, their symptoms may be indicative of cancer, so it is important to see your doctor if you are concerned.
In the unlikely event that your child’s symptoms are due to cancer, early diagnosis can make a difference to the treatments that they need and how easily cancer can be treated.
Please see your doctor as soon as possible if you are worried and let them know that you are worried too. Early diagnosis can help save lives.
You can read more about the signs to look for at knowing the signs of childhood cancer
Visiting the doctor
When you take your child to the doctor, they will most likely be satisfied that their symptoms are caused by another illness, such as a virus as this is the most likely diagnosis. Your child’s symptoms should then resolve on their own or with appropriate treatment from your doctor.
If things then do not improve as expected, please see your doctor again, do not ignore it.
If you remain concerned
- If your child has ongoing symptoms that are not improving and you have seen the GP or another healthcare professional on more than 2 occasions, please make sure you voice your concerns and worries. This is especially important if you are concerned something has been overlooked.
- Make sure your doctor knows how many times your child has been seen for that problem.
- Through no fault of their own, General Practitioners, nurse practitioners and emergency doctors are working under intense time pressures, so if you feel something has not been discussed, do not hesitate to ask for areas to be revisited.
- If you remain very concerned, you can ask for a second opinion, but, if possible, please talk to your doctor first. It maybe they had no idea just how concerned you were.
Most importantly
Please keep trying if you are very worried.
Sometimes, a different doctor (looking at the case from a fresh viewpoint) can be beneficial.