CHOC urges Alexandra parents to be aware of early warning signs of childhood cancer
Childhood cancer causes preventable deaths, often due to late diagnosis. CHOC used PinkDrive's event to stress the importance of early detection and highlight warning signs you should look out for.
Hundreds of children with cancer die preventable deaths each year, often because they are diagnosed too late, when the disease has already advanced.
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According to Muzi Ngwenya, national awareness co-ordinator at the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation, at least 1 100 children are diagnosed with cancer annually. Tragically, nearly half do not survive. “We lose far too many children to cancer because the signs are missed or misunderstood.” He explained that symptoms often resemble common illnesses, like flu, leading to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. He urged parents to act when illnesses persist or recur.
Ngwenya was speaking at PinkDrive’s community outreach event on October 17, which offered free cancer screenings and education to Alexandra residents.
CAPTION: Alexandra resident gets her blood pressure checked at PinkDrive’s cancer awareness event. Photo: Itumeleng Maloka
He expressed concern over a troubling trend, marked by a decline of the number of children being diagnosed with cancer every year, not because fewer children are getting sick, but because they are not reaching hospitals or getting the treatment they need. “Our numbers, at the paediatric oncology unit, are declining. It should worry us. These children are ending up at clinics or with traditional healers [instead of receiving proper treatment]. It is not that children do not get cancer anymore.”
Ngwenya emphasised the importance of recognising the warning signs of childhood cancer. Without awareness, he warned, many children will continue to suffer and potentially lose their lives. He noted that early detection is critical, especially for aggressive cancers like leukemia, which he said accounts for 34% of childhood cases, followed by brain tumours. “If parents knew the warning signs, they could refer their children to hospital sooner, and that could save a life.”
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He also highlighted clinic-hopping as a major barrier to timely diagnosis. He explained that switching clinics unnecessarily resets the child’s medical file, delaying diagnosis while the cancer worsens. “Cancers in children are generally more aggressive. The later the diagnosis, the harsher the treatment. Sometimes, a child can die from the treatment itself, not just the cancer.”
Bongumusa Makhathini, chairperson of PinkDrive, also emphasised the call for early detection. He noted that 50 to 57% of patients are diagnosed late, often when it is too late to intervene. “If people can learn about their health challenges early enough, they can take action.”
CHOC shared the Siluan warning signs of childhood cancer, urging parents to stay alert:
S – Seek medical help early for persistent symptoms.
I – Be on the lookout for white spot in the eye, new squinting, sudden blindness, or bulging eyeballs.
L – Lump in the stomach, pelvis, head, arms, legs, testicles, or glands.
U – Unexplained fever, lasting over two weeks, weight loss, fatigue, pale appearance, and easy bruising or bleeding.
A – Aching bones, joints, back, or frequent fractures.
N – Neurological signs: changes in walking, balance, or speech, regression, continuous headaches, with or without vomiting, or an enlarged head.
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