Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer, and accounts for about 3% of cancers that happen in children. Although other types of cancer can eventually spread to parts of the skeleton, osteosarcoma is one of the few that actually begin in bones and sometimes spread (or metastasize) elsewhere, usually …
Radiation Therapy
If you’ve seen a dentist or been treated for a broken bone, you’ve experienced radiation firsthand. In everyday life, radiation in the form of X-rays is used to create images of areas of the body that doctors can’t see, such as the inside of a tooth or the interior of …
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is a cancerous tumor that grows in the retina, a layer of nerve tissue in the back of the eye that senses light and sends images to the brain. A cancer of early childhood, retinoblastoma can affect developing fetuses in the womb, as well as newborns, babies, toddlers, and children …
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS)
About RMS Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS or “rhabdo”) is a cancerous tumor that develops in the body’s soft tissues, usually the muscles. It can affect the head, neck, bladder, vagina, arms, legs, trunk, or just about any body part. Cells from rhabdomyosarcomas are often fast growing and can spread (metastasize) to other …
Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation
Cancer cells divide and multiply much faster than most normal cells — and that’s typically how they do their harm. Uncontrolled cell growth can lead to masses of cancer cells called tumors, or to a situation where healthy cells are crowded out and can no longer do their jobs efficiently. …
Stem Cell Transplants
Stem cells are cells in the body that have the potential to turn into anything, such as a skin cell, a liver cell, a brain cell, or a blood cell. Stem cells that turn into blood cells are called hematopoietic (heh-mat-uh-poy-EH-tik) stem cells. These cells are capable of developing into the …
Abusive Head Trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome)
Abusive head trauma, also called shaken baby syndrome (or SBS), goes by many other names, including inflicted traumatic brain injury and shaken impact syndrome. All of these names mean the same thing: an injury to a child’s brain as a result of child abuse. Abusive head trauma (AHT) can be caused by …
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger syndrome (AS) is a type of autism. Autism affects how a person interprets language, communicates, and socializes. AS used to be considered its own condition, with its own diagnosis, but that changed in 2013. That’s when the guidebook that doctors use (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, …
Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s palsy is a sudden weakness or paralysis on one side of the face that makes it hard for a person to move the mouth, nose, or eyelid. It also can make that side of the face droop or look stiff. Bell’s palsy happens when a facial nerve is not …
Brain Tumors
When brain cells grow abnormally or out of control, a tumor (a mass of cells) can form. If the tumor puts pressure on certain areas of the brain, it can affect how the body functions. When discovered early enough, brain tumors are usually treatable. Many that are slow-growing are cured with …