This is the process of discovering if your child has cancer and what type it is. Based on a child’s symptoms, a doctor will carry out an assessment with a number of tests. Upon these assessments, the doctor then makes a referral to a hospital with specialists such as:
A pediatrician who specialises in treating children
A pediatric oncologist who specializes in treating children with cancer
A pediatric hematologist who specializes in treating blood disorders
To ensure the cancer is diagnosed accurately, the specialists will have a series of tests and consultations with other experts to assess the child’s general health. Whilst trying to diagnose a child with cancer, numerous tests are carried out such as:
- Biopsy
- Blood Tests
- Bone Marrow Tests (Bone Marrow Aspirate)
- Lumbar Puncture
- X-rays
- Ultrasound scan
- CT Scan
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Scan
- Bone Scan
- PET(Positron Emission Tomography) Scan
- GFR (Glomerular iltration Rate) Test
- Audiogram
- Ophthalmology
