What is cancer
What is cancer?
To understand cancer, we must first talk a bit about the human body
What is my body made of?
Our bodies are made up of billions of tiny cells coming together to form organs (like your heart, your lungs, your stomach, your brain) and organ systems (like your digestive system, that allows you to transform the food you eat into energy or to go to the bathroom).
But what is a cell?
Cells are too small for the naked eye to see! We need a microscope to see them. If we take a very close look at the different cells in our body, we can see that they are almost all the same. Then one day, one cell from one organ rebels and refuses to follow the others. It becomes an abnormal cell and it multiplies to create other cells, just as rebellious. Those cells are called cancer cells.
How do we treat cancer?
Our body cannot exist with cancer cells and be healthy, so we have to get rid of them. There are many ways to do get rid of them and to treat cancer.
Do you know what surgery is?
A surgery is an operation to remove the group of diseased cells (the tumour).
Surgery is like removing the weeds from a garden and throwing them far away.
Do you know what radiation therapy is?
Sometimes, doctors choose to treat a cancer-stricken child with radiotherapy, that is, with rays.
Rays are like an invisible rain destroying the weeds.
What about chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy means destroying the diseased cells with medicine. This medicine can take the form of pills or injections.
Who cares for cancer-stricken children?
Caring for and treating children with cancer requires an entire team! At the hospital, a complete medical team is formed with 4 different medical professionals, each as important as the other. Let’s try to name them together!
- Physician
- Surgeon
- Nurse
- Psychologist
Did you know? Leucan also helps families
When someone we love isn’t feeling well, we might feel sad or worried.
When a child has cancer, their family feels very stressed and worried. Leucan is there to help those families get through this ordeal.
That’s why we say that Leucan is an association for children with cancer and their families.
What does Leucan do?
- Gives money to parents to help them with the high costs of cancer, like the many trips to the hospital
- Hosts activities for cancer-stricken children where they can play with children like them
- Suggests activities where parents can take a break from their child’s illness
- Provides massages to reduce pain and stress
- Helps children to have fun, even at the hospital, thanks to a playroom made especially for them
