Childhood cancer curable if detected early - Pediatric Oncologist

Pediatric Oncologist and Team Lead of the Pediatric Oncology Unit at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the Greater Accra Region, Dr. Ernestina Shandorf, has said childhood cancer is curable, but early detection is key.

According to her, many children are brought in at very advanced stages because parents and caregivers often mistake the signs for common childhood illnesses.

She explained that symptoms such as persistent fever that does not respond to treatment, unexplained body pains, painless swellings, or unusual changes in the eyes—like a white spot in the pupil, squinting, or protrusion—could all be early warning signs of childhood cancer.

Dr. Shandorf noted that the most common types affecting children in Ghana include leukaemia (blood cancer), lymphoma (immune system cancer), retinoblastoma (eye cancer), and Wilms tumour (kidney cancer).

She stressed that these conditions are not caused by anything the children or their parents did, but result from abnormalities in the body’s normal cell division.

She further raised concern about the rising number of cases, pointing out that annual diagnoses have increased from about 160 in 2014 to over 230 new cases each year, excluding thousands of children already on treatment.

“The burden is growing, but our facilities have not kept pace. We urgently need more space to ensure timely and adequate care,” she said.

It was against this backdrop that health experts, advocates, families, and members of the public took part in the “Walk for Hope, Step for Change”, organised by Lifeline for Childhood Cancer Ghana and partners, sought to raise awareness and mobilise funds to complete Ghana’s first 40-bed Pediatric Oncology Treatment Centre at Korle-Bu.

Adding her voice, Akua Sarpong, Executive Director of Lifeline for Childhood Cancer Ghana, appealed for collective support. “This is about giving children a chance at life. Every step we take today brings us closer to ensuring no child suffers because of delayed diagnosis or inadequate facilities. We need every Ghanaian to come on board,” she said.