The UK government has welcomed new clinical guidance designed to help GPs identify childhood abdominal cancers earlier, in a move aimed at reducing delays in diagnosis for under-18s.

 

The initiative, known as the Child Cancer Smart campaign and led by CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, introduces updated referral guidelines and decision-support tools for healthcare professionals, along with symptom information for families.

 

Backed by funding from an NIHR Doctoral Award, the guidance is focused on spotting abdominal tumours earlier—conditions that can be difficult to detect because symptoms often resemble common childhood illnesses.

 

Supporting the rollout, Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said the guidance marks an important step in improving outcomes for children with cancer.

 

“Everyday counts when it comes to diagnosing childhood cancer, and this new guidance is a vital step towards ensuring no child waits longer than necessary to get the answers and treatment they need.

 

“Our National Cancer Plan sets out an ambitious goal - for three in four people diagnosed with cancer in 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years. Early diagnosis is fundamental to achieving that.

 

“I want to thank CCLG and the researchers behind Child Cancer Smart for their tireless work in equipping GPs and families with the tools to spot the signs sooner. We’re committed to supporting the brilliant science and dedicated professionals who make that possible.”

 

Experts warn that some childhood cancers, particularly kidney and neuroblastoma tumours, are often diagnosed at more advanced stages in the UK than in other EU countries—an issue linked to delays in recognising symptoms.

 

Child Cancer Smart has developed abdominal tumour symptom lists to help parents and clinicians identify warning signs earlier and speed up referrals.

 

Dr Shaarna Shanmugavadivel, a paediatric emergency medicine doctor and CCLG Child Cancer Smart Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, said early detection is critical.

 

“Around 15% of children with cancer will have an abdominal tumour. As an abdominal tumour grows bigger, it causes symptoms by pressing on other structures around it, such as nerves or other organs. Identifying this as early as possible is important, because later diagnosis risks later stage cancers that may have spread. This can mean higher intensity treatments, or sadly, a lower chance of survival.”

 

Parents who have lived through childhood cancer diagnoses say awareness can make a life-saving difference.

 

Leonie Snedden, whose daughter Lucie was diagnosed with Wilms tumour at age five, said early action was crucial. She credits her instinct for ensuring a fast diagnosis.

 

“To this day, I always think how lucky it was that I acted on a gut feeling and did not leave it longer. I dread to think how things could have been if not caught so quickly.”

 

Natalie Rowan’s son Harris was diagnosed with aggressive liver cancer at just nine months old after she sought medical advice for what was thought to be a throat infection and mild bloating.

 

She said doctors quickly recognised the seriousness of his condition.

 

“Time was of the essence because the cancer had already spread to Harris’s lungs and the extent of disease meant he was on a very high-risk treatment protocol.”

 

Harris later required chemotherapy before he could be considered for a life-saving liver transplant, which could only proceed once the cancer was cleared from his lungs.

 

Natalie hopes the new campaign will help other families get answers sooner.

 

“Awareness is power,” explained Natalie, “and anything that speeds up diagnosis is hugely important for more beneficial outcomes.”