Would you notice if your child had cancer? The signs every parent must know as research reveals half are clueless

ALMOST half of all parents don’t know the symptoms of cancer in kids, a new study has found.

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death in youngsters over the age of one and is a major cause of disability.

The signs and symptoms of childhood cancer (Credit: Cancer Research)

The most common children’s cancers include acute leukaemia and those of the brain and spinal cord.

Yet new research, published in the British Medical Journal, found around two thirds (68 per cent) of British adults weren’t confident about identifying the tell-tale signs and symptoms.

It also found only 47 per cent of parents were unable to list the common signs.

Around 3,750 new cancer cases are diagnosed every year in children and young people under the age of 24 in the UK.

And survival rates are reported to lag behind those of the rest of Europe.

Study co-author Dr Shaarna Shanmugavadivelia said: “Symptoms of the disease in children often mimic other common ailments, and given that screening tests aren’t currently available, public and professional awareness to ensure early diagnosis and treatment is essential.”

The survey of 1,000 adults included questions about confidence in recognising cancer signs and symptoms and which, if any, symptoms merited discussion with a doctor.

On average, those polled identified only 11 out of 42 classic signs and symptoms.

The least recognised symptoms were early or late puberty, developmental delay in infants and slow growth.

Almost half of the respondents (43 per cent) said they would wait three months or not seek medical advice at all for persistent or recurrent sore throat or hoarse voice or slow recovery after bone or joint injury.

The most recognised symptoms included a lump or swelling in the pelvis, testicle or breast; blood in urine or stool; changes to moles; a lump or swelling in the chest wall or armpits; and weight loss.

Dr Shanmugavadivelia, of Nottingham University’s School of Medicine, said: “Awareness has been marked as a key strategy for early cancer diagnosis in the UK, but there has been little focus on childhood cancers.

“Perceived rarity of cancer in children is a key barrier to early diagnosis.

“While the number of cases may be small compared with adult cancers, the cumulative risk from birth to early adulthood is comparable to that of other childhood illnesses.”

She added: “This needs to be communicated with the public, as parents usually associate common symptoms with common childhood ailments, but not cancer.”