Permission is granted to print and distribute this excerpt for noncommercial use as long as the above source is included. The information in this article is meant to educate and should not be used as an alternative for professional medical care. Cancer begins with the transformation of a single cell. The malignant changes that occur in these renegade cells can cause several signs and symptoms, many of which mimic common childhood illnesses. Most cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed based on symptoms.
Parents are usually the first to notice that something is wrong with their child.
Occasionally, a diagnosis of cancer is based on chance findings during well baby visits to the pediatrician. Rarely, it is discovered accidentally on an x-ray done for other reasons. Any deviation from the child's normal behavior or health that persists or is not easily explained gives reason for further investigation by the pediatrician. She had been complaining of pain in her left knee and had developed a large lump on her left buttock. Instead, we left with instructions for her to eat nothing, since she was going to be sedated the following morning for some scans at the hospital.