KUWAIT: Chairman of the board of the National Campaign for Cancer Awareness (CAN) Dr Khalid Al-Saleh said the incidence of cancer in children is less than that in adults, adding the number of cases in children reached 120 cases - 4.3 percent of total cases of all types of cancer. Saleh said during a press conference in cooperation with I Want to Learn Society held earlier in the week to spread awareness about cancer in children that 52.1 percent of cancer patients are male, and about 53.8 percent are younger than 10 years old.

Dr Saleh said 40.3 percent of cancers are diagnosed in the blood, while more than 55.5 percent are tissue tumors, with surgery recommended for 29.4 percent of cases. He said most cases (74.8 percent) received chemotherapy and 14.3 percent received radiation, adding 89.1 percent of affected children are still living.

Dr Saleh said the strategy that is more effective to reduce the burden of children's cancer and improve health results is to focus on speedy and accurate diagnoses, then allowing for successful treatment, in addition to supporting care designed for this purpose. He said early detection is not effective in children's cancer, so the ideal solution is early diagnosis so that treatment can be done quickly to result in full recovery. He added that children who complete their treatment need continued care to monitor their condition in order to make sure that they do not get cancer again.

Meanwhile, media personality Aneesa Mohammad Jaafar aka Mama Aneesa said this humanitarian action for children with cancer aims at supporting them until they recover. She called on all citizens and residents to help children at all stages, because they are the beacons of the future.

Stem cells consultant at NBK Children's Hospital Dr Sundus Al-Shareeda said 21 children who had cancer and other illnesses benefitted from stem cell transplants, be it their own or from donors. She said most cases were successful and patients recovered. Pediatrician and member of I Want to Learn Society Dr Maha Buresli said around 100 to 120 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, adding international protocols and modern technologies contribute to a recovery percentage that nearly matches the global rate.