8. Cancer in Children

• Can cancer develop in children? At what age?
  No age is free from cancer. Certain forms of cancer, especially of the eyes and blood are most occasionally found in young children.
   

• If a parent dies of cancer are the children more likely to have the disease?
  The answer is no. In many families where a parent has had cancer, the disease does not appear in the children. Again, a person whose family has no record of cancer may develop it. A tendency to develop breast cancer however runs in families.
   

• Does cancer develop more quickly in children than in older people?
  The rate of growth at any age depends upon the type of cancer, though cancer does grow faster at younger ages.
   

• If detected in time, can cancer in a child be cured more quickly than in an adult?
  The cure of cancer has little relationship with age. It depends upon the extent of growth at the time it is detected, and the adequacy of the treatment given as well as the type of cancer detected.