JEDDAH, 28 February 2007 — Princess Aliaa bint Abdullah is launching today the first national campaign on cancer in children. The launching of the campaign entitled “We Are With You” will take place at Ismail Abu Dawood Hall at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry at 7 p.m.
Al-Eman Cancer Society in Jeddah has arranged plays and videos for the awareness of children through entertainment. Among the attendees will be child cancer patients. This comes after the Oncology Center of King Abdul Aziz Hospital announced earlier this week that they have received 628 children cancer cases last year from the Western Region alone.
“There are 125 children suffering from cancer in every million children in the world,” said Dr. Hasnah Al-Ghamdi, the director of the oncology center. “The percentage might seem low; however, cancer is the second most common child-killer after accidents. Leukemia, or blood cancer, is the most common cancer among children,” she said.
Causes of leukemia are still unknown even after the studies and researches done. However, according to Al-Ghamdi, the disease is 30 percent more common among males in the region. The possibilities go high for babies whose mothers were exposed to x-rays, smoking or drinking alcohol during their pregnancy.
Parents must take care that their children do not get exposed to chemicals.
The director of the center also emphasized that there are genetic factors causing the disease. A child is four times more likely to have the disease if his sibling had leukemia. As for twins, the percentage is even higher (25 percent) if the child’s twin sibling is affected with the disease. Children with Down’s Syndrome are 20 times more likely to get the cancer.
“I advise parents to consult a specialist doctor if they notice a change in the child’s activity or skin color or noticed any internal or external tumors as soon as they can. Early diagnosis of the disease increases the possibility of successful treatment to 85 percent,” she said.
