10,000 children under 14 with cancer in UK need 'more support'

A charity said that children with cancer need more support after the treatment ends.

16:45 13 December 2013

According to Macmillan Cancer Support and the National Cancer Intelligence Network, there are currently about 10,000 children under 14 years old with cancer in the UK that require more support.

The charity added that although more and more children are able to fight the disease, those who survive can have an increased risk of other health issues including developing secondary cancers.

Macmillan Cancer Support Chief Executive Ciaran Devane said: "More must be done to support the thousands of children living with cancer in the UK. Far too often they end up lost in the healthcare system and are not receiving appropriate and timely follow-up care.

"Adult specialists and GPs need to know how to manage the side-effects and lifestyle changes that can affect those treated as children."

Meanwhile, Dr Sarah Hazell from Cancer Research UK, said: "But more needs to be done to ensure all children survive, and that we continue to work towards making treatments better and kinder.

"At Cancer Research UK we are currently supporting 23 different trials into children's cancer to make this happen. As more and more children survive, it is especially important that we improve their quality of life after cancer."