Pediatric Oncologist in India

Pediatric oncology is an important division in oncology dealing with cancer in children including infants, toddlers, school-age kids, and teenagers aged 19 years old and below. Pediatric oncologists deal particularly with children because certain cancers are more common in children than adults, for example, leukemia, osteosarcoma, retinoblastoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, etc. 

Pediatric oncologist in India is a qualified professional medical healthcare provider who is specialized in pediatric and also trained in oncology. They evaluate the condition, make the diagnosis, explain the treatments available and the preferred choice, and counsel patients and their parents in managing the symptoms.

Is pediatric cancer different from adult cancer?

The specialty was almost non-existent in the early 1980s and the necessity for the division rose significantly because of the difference in treating childhood cancer and adult cancer. In early times, general oncologists treated cancer in children and the results were highly negative. The pediatric oncologists in India are fewer than the western world. The results showed that treatment for adult cancer and childhood cancer differs. Increased awareness and advancement in science have put the specialty in priority. 

What are the risk factors for pediatric oncology?

Lifestyle has a significant impact on the occurrence of cancer. Environmental factors such as exposure to radiation, pesticide, and smoke are found to be in association with the occurrence of cancer in children. 

Cancer can be inherited or acquired; genetic variations are consistently associated with childhood cancer. Other inherent risk factors are birth weight, parental age, and birth defects. 

What are the pediatric oncology treatments available?

According to the Lancet Oncology Journal, 2019, 3–4% of cancer in India constitutes childhood cancer with an estimation of 40,000 – 50,000 new cases every year. Pediatric oncologists in India diagnose the type of cancer and formulate the treatment process based on the diagnosis. The diagnosis includes medical history, family history, and symptoms to narrow down the type of cancer. 

Imaging techniques used by Pediatric Oncologist in India, such as MRI or X-rays along with biopsy help in identifying the nature of cancer. The analyses of results reveal the stage of cancer based on its severity as stage 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Chemotherapy, which uses strong medicines to kill cancer cells; radiation therapy which uses high energy waves to destroy cancer cells; surgery can be opted to prevent the spread of the tumour, and combined therapy are popularly known treatments available for cancer. 

What are the side effects of the treatment?

• Fatigue

• Hair loss

• Skin color change

• Decreased blood cell count

• In radiation therapy – a slight amount of healthy cell damage

• In surgery – bleeding and blood clots

• Sometimes chemotherapy can cause long-term side effects in children

Why Choose Credihealth for pediatric oncology?

Credihealth is an online healthcare portal for all your hospital appointment bookings, diagnostic test bookings, ordering medications, or homecare services. Credihealth has an extensive list of hospitals and nephrologists who focus primarily on woman care. View our pediatric oncologists in India listing, which consists of details like doctor fees, years of experience, areas of expertise, doctor timings, qualifications and much more. If you have any inquiries, our inhouse medical experts can help solve them and guide you towards the right doctor.