All ages

Constipation is common during cancer treatment. It means your child may poo less often than usual, have trouble doing a poo, or their poo may be hard and difficult to pass.

It’s common for tamariki (children) to lose their appetite during cancer treatment. This can be due to side effects like nausea, taste changes, or feeling full quickly. Your child’s healthcare team will keep a close eye on their weight and nutrition throughout treatment.

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects during chemotherapy, and can sometimes last for several days after the chemotherapy treatment stops. 

Some tamariki (children) develop a sore mouth and throat during chemotherapy. This happens because treatment can weaken the lining of the mouth, leading to inflammation or ulcers. A sore mouth can make eating, drinking, and talking uncomfortable - but there are ways to help.

A low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia. Signs of a low platelet count are bruising, bleeding from the nose, gums or other parts of the body, black poo, or vomit with specks of blood in it.

A low red blood cell count is called anaemia. It causes tiredness, shortness of breath, pale skin and gums, headache and dizziness.

A low white cell count is called neutropenia. Neutropenia leads to an increased infection risk. If your child is neutropenic and gets an infection, they can become seriously ill quickly.

Blood cells are the normal cells most often affected by chemotherapy. A low blood count means having fewer new cells in the blood than is normal.

Some of the most common side effects of chemotherapy include a low blood count, sore mouth, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, sun sensitivity, hair loss and fatigue.

Healthy meal planning is an important part of diabetes management. There is no need for your child or young person to eat special foods or follow a restrictive diet.

If your child with cancer is having anaesthesia or sedation they will have to stop eating food and drinking fluids before the procedure. Your local healthcare team will give you instructions about preparing your child for surgery. 

A clinical trial is a research study. Clinical trials have played a huge role in the dramatic improvements in childhood cancer cure rates in the last 30 to 40 years.

During a blood and marrow transplant (BMT), doctors replace your child's bone marrow system with healthy blood stem cells.

Radiation therapy treats cancer using high-energy x-ray beams. The beams target cancer cells from outside the body and destroy fast-growing cells, such as cancer cells.

Many tamariki (children) with cancer will have surgery during their treatment. Most surgeries happen in the operating room while your child is asleep under general anaesthesia.

Chemotherapy treatment uses anti-cancer medicines (drugs) to treat cancer by stopping cells from growing, or by destroying cells.