How can childhood cancer be detected earlier and how can pediatricians be made more aware to help this detection?

It's very difficult!: Fortunately, pediatric cancer is very rare; only about 15, 000 cases in the us each year. Pediatricians can go their whole career and never see a case of cancer. Also, in most cases the symptoms of a child with cancer are very similar to other benign and much more common conditions. The best way for providers to not miss it is to ensure children who don't get better are seen again and not forgotten.

Pediatric cancers: Pediatric cancers can be diagnosed very early too. Depending upon the site and presentation some are diagnosed shortly after birth.

Special case: Wondering if this question was prompted by someone promoting urine screening for neuroblastoma. Many babies are both with neuroblastoma, a curious cancer that usually disappears by itself. Screening turned out to generate more problems (cost, upset people, chidren damaged by treatment) than it was worth for the (extremely few) lives saved.

Peds. ARE aware.: First, cancer is not a disease, it is a whole bunch of diseases that have abnormal cells in common. One of the reasons, among others, for frequent exams during childhood is to detect problems as early as possible. Tests to detect cancers early would involve different tests for different cancers. When reliable, economical screening tests become available, it's likely we will all use them.