It's the biggest cancer killer of Aussie kids: here's what to look out for

Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer in kids but they are also highly treatable if caught early. A leading neurosurgeon is urging Australian parents to look out for symptoms so it’s not too late when their child is diagnosed.

Brain cancer makes up more than one third of cancer deaths in kids under 10 and each year 1400 children have malignant brain cancer in Australia. 1100 of those cases are fatal.

Australia’s leading neurosurgeon is Associate Professor Brian Owler. He said parents and doctors can help prevent brain tumor cancer deaths in children by keeping an eye out for these cancer symptoms in children:

* Persistent headaches;

* Blurred vision;

* Vomiting;

* Lack of balance or co-ordination;

* Abnormal eye activity;

* Lethargy, fits, seizures;

* Abnormal head position or sore neck.

Professor Owler told The Daily Telegraph that even benign tumours can cause death in children if they grow too big. “Early diagnosis means smaller tumour, less chance of spread and safer surgery. Also many paediatric tumours are curable, more so than in adults. Some are benign but delayed diagnosis means that some children can present close to death and in some instances can die. It can literally be a matter of life and death.”

He said most children presented to him with brain tumours have been suffering symptoms for years.

The Cancer Council plans to launch a similar program to the Headsmart campaign in the UK aimed at educating healthcare professionals and parents about the signs of a brain tumour in children.

Kathy Chapman, director of health strategies at the Cancer Council said:

Detecting illness in children can be difficult. This problem coupled with the fact that brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in children and young people, means that we should all know what signs to look out for. It’s about raising people’s consciousness. Kids get headaches, but it’s about the persistent characteristic, is it in the early morning, is it associated with visual changes, or changes in co-ordination and headaches that are not responding to paracetamol.

Many of the symptoms of brain cancer in children can be written off by doctors as a virus. As a parent, if you know your child isn’t getting better and that the symptoms are persistent, push for an MRI. It may just save your child’s life.