In South Africa, very few children receive effective treatment because they are diagnosed at such a late stage, if they are diagnosed at all. Fortunately, there are excellent treatment centres that achieve results comparable to hospitals in North America and Europe for similar stages of diagnosis.

The South African Children's Cancer Study Group (SACCSG), together with CHOC and all the specialist paediatric oncologists in our country, has prepared a set of Warning Signs to help improve early diagnosis.

THE SAINT SILUAN WARNING SIGNS
Saint Siluan was a Russian monk who prayed ceaselessly for all humanity.

• Seek: Medical help early for persistent symptoms
• Eye: White spot in the eye, new squint, new blindness, bulging eyeball
• Lump: Abdomen and pelvis, head and neck, limbs, testes, glands
• Unexplained: Prolonged fever over two weeks, loss of weight , pallor, fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding
• Aching: Bones, joints, back and easy fractures
• Neurological: Change or deterioration in walk, balance or speech, regression of milestones, headache for more than a week with or without vomiting, enlarging head

The list of warning signs has been made into A2 posters in English, Zulu, Xhosa, South Sotho and Afrikaans and have been distributed to Primary Healthcare Clinics countrywide.

TOLL-FREE HELPLINE: 0800 333 555

Sisters and doctors at the Primary Healthcare Clinics can call the toll-free help line (hosted at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital) for advice on whether to refer the child for further investigation and to which unit.