Cancer specialists have called on the federal government to pay attention to cancers among children in the country.

They made the call Tuesday in Abuja during the Nigeria impact-review stakeholders meeting organised by the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT).

An oncologist and consultant pathologist, Dr Abidemi Omonisi, said over the years, attention has been paid to three major cancers; breast cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer while neglecting the ones affecting children.

He said some children are born with cancers due to heredity, adding that parents should take antenatal care and genetic testing seriously as it can help pick some cancers early.

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Dr Omonisi, who is also the vice president of the Nigeria Cancer Society (NCS) said the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) reported over 300 cases of childhood cancer in 2013.

He added that unlike before, when Burkitt lymphoma was the most common childhood cancer in Nigeria, new data from LUTH’s children’s oncology department show a rise in leukaemia cases, marking a shift in the disease landscape.

Laura Haskins, project officer, Division of Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the impact review was requested by the minister of state for health, Dr Tunji Alausa, stating that the request came to three UN agencies that have technical mandates in cancer control.