Q: I recently read an article that said Burkitt's lymphoma is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and one of the symptoms is abdominal pain.

My daughter was diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus four years ago when she was two years old. She has since recovered but a few months ago, she had frequent bouts of abdominal pain for no reason. I took her to general practitioners and they gave her medicine to counter the pain.

Can people who have had the Epstein-Barr virus previously develop Burkitt's lymphoma? How and where can I get my daughter tested for this condition?

A: Burkitt's lymphoma is an uncommon cancer in children. About one in every million children will get it each year in South-east Asia.

Epstein-Barr virus infection is common. Almost everyone will get it before he or she becomes an adult.

The association of Burkitt's lymphoma with the Epstein-Barr virus is seen almost only in Africa.

Malarial infection has been found to be an important factor contributing to the cancer occurrence. Burkitt's lymphoma typically occurs in the jaw with an obvious swelling on the face. This is commonly known as endemic Burkitt's lymphoma.

Outside Africa, this lymphoma in children is seen only sporadically. It is rarely related to Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Abdominal pain is very common in children and I have never met a child who tells me he or she has never experienced it. Up to 70 per cent of school-age children have abdominal pain on a regular basis.

There are many reasons for this and many children just grow out of it. Check with the family doctor if there is any worry, but I do not think Burkitt's lymphoma is a likely reason.

Dr Anselm Chi-wai Lee is the medical director & a consultant with the Children's Haematology & Cancer Centre and the Radiation Oncology Centre at Gleneagles Hospital.

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times.