Childhood cancer for the primary care physician

Abstract

Childhood cancer is rare among childhood diseases and requires a high index of suspicion by the primary care physician to entertain the possibility of cancer when managing common childhood diseases. This article presents an overview of common pediatric cancers, their presentations, and how the primary care physician can work up patients whom they suspect have a malignancy. The goal is to help primary care doctors in early recognition and appropriate referral of patients, in order for patients to receive required specialized care in a timely manner.

Keywords: Acute leukemia; Bone tumors; CNS tumors; Childhood cancer; Lymphoma; Risk factors; Sarcoma; Wilms tumors.