Knowledge about childhood cancer

Our bodies are made up of many billions of cells. In each of those cells DNA is stored. DNA is your unique genetic code. You can see the DNA as a big book of instructions on how the body should be built and how it should function. To provide all those billions of cells with DNA, the book has to be copied very often. During the process of copying it many times, mistakes can sometimes happen.

Childhood cancer is not one disease but a collection of many different types of cancer. Many of these types also have variants (biological subclasses). On this page, you can read more about the various types of cancer, the symptoms that belong to the relevant diseases and the treatments we offer.

The Princess Máxima Center examines and treats children with cancer from all over the Netherlands. We have all the specialist knowledge and experience needed to correctly diagnose your child. Based on this, we compile the optimal treatment plan. You can read more about the treatments in our center here.

Childhood cancer is treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and or surgery. These treatments can cause lasting damage to organs, tissues, or bones. These are known as late effects.

Here you can find more information about childhood cancer for each discipline.