Could it be cancer? 3 persistent symptoms, 3 visits, or 3 weeks of unexplained symptoms. Pick up the phone.
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3persistent symptoms
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3visits to the doctor
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3weeks of unexplained symptoms
Why 3 symptoms, 3 visits or 3 weeks?
This message for professionals has been chosen based on the evidence we have. We know that some symptoms of cancer are more obvious than others and so whilst, for some, cancer will be considered very quickly, for others it may take longer.
In the CCD study, 50% of solid tumours were diagnosed within 3 weeks of seeing a healthcare professional, and leukaemias often much more quickly than that.
We want to shorten the time for the other 50%. Ensuring healthcare professionals are considering cancer in children at the 3-week mark if symptoms are progressive and unexplained will help us reach our target of diagnosing 75% of children and teenagers within 3 weeks from first contact with a healthcare professional.
The other part of this message highlights picking up the phone. Referrals for suspected childhood cancers differ from adult cancer pathways, but this is not well known and many of our children and teenagers are still being referred using urgent suspected cancer pathways.
Childhood cancer grows much more quickly than adult cancers, and so if cancer is suspected, our guideline advises picking up the phone and discussing the case with your local on-call paediatrician. They will be able to advise where best to send the child or teenager depending on their story. This may well be in a rapid access clinic or similar, or straight to paediatrics the same day if there is strong suspicion.
Childhood cancer symptoms by cancer type
You can also view these symptoms arranged by body parts and systems.
- Pallor
- Spontaneous bleeding/bruising/petechiae
- Unexplained fever
- Bone/joint pain
- Persistent worsening fatigue
- Weight loss
- Large and growing lymph nodes in neck, axilla or groin
- Abdominal mass/distension
- Drenching night sweats
- Unexplained fever
- Bone pain
- Unexplained shortness of breath
- Persistent headache
- Persistent recurrent/vomiting
- Blurred/double/loss of vision
- Abnormal eye movements
- Balance/co-ordination/walking difficulties
- Fit or Seizures (not with a fever)
- Abnormal head position (wry neck, head tilt)
- Behaviour change (especially lethargy)
- Early or delayed puberty
- Abdominal distension/lump with or without pain
- Weight loss
- Weakness in legs
- Back pain
- Numbness in arms or legs
- Unexplained bruising around the eye
- Enlarging head/neck swelling
- Unexplained shortness of breath
- Abdominal distension/lump with or without pain*
- Rose coloured or red urine (blood)
- Abdominal distension/lump with or without pain
- Jaundice (skin or sclera)
- Leucocoria
- Squint/abnormal eye movements
- Reduced vision/loss of vision
- Protruding/enlarging eye
Depends on where on the body it is - can occur anywhere: commonly
- Unexplained lump with or without pain
- Unexplained swelling (eye, limbs, abdomen)
- Skin changes over the lump/swelling
- Bone swelling/lump
- Bone/joint pain
- Restricted arm/leg movement or limp
- Persistent back pain
- Numbness or weakness in legs or arms
- Incontinence of urine or stool
- Erectile dysfunction in teenagers
- Lump/swelling in testicle, breast, groin
- Abdominal distension (with or without pain)
- Early signs of puberty (before the age of 8 in girls, and 9 in boys) such as enlarging breasts, excess hair growth, starting periods
Resources for professionals
We're currently in the process of developing resources to aid professionals in diagnosing children and teenagers with cancer.
When the resources are available, they will appear here and on our downloads page.
Let us know what you think, or get involved
If you've got any feedback on the Child Cancer Smart campaign, we'd love to hear it.
If you would like to get involved and support the Child Cancer Smart campaign - whether by contributing to the guideline development process, acting as one of our clinical champions, or in many other ways, we would be delighted to hear from you
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