MICHAEL Buble's son Noah is battling cancer at the age of just three years old.

The singer and his wife said they are "devastated" at the diagnosis - after suspecting their eldest was suffering mumps.

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The couple have yet to confirm the specific type of cancer their son is fighting.

There are a number of different forms of the disease that can affect children, though a cancer diagnosis in a child is much more rare than in an adult.

In the UK around 1,600 kids under 15 are diagnosed with cancer every year - a number which includes non-cancerous brain tumours.

To put that number in perspective, 320,500 cancer diagnoses are made in the UK each year, according to .

It can be hard to spot the signs and symptoms of cancer in children, largely because they are so similar to many other, more common illnesses, including mumps.

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And, it's likely the symptoms will vary from child to child.

If your child has a symptom that is not included here, but doesn't go away after a few weeks, it is best to get it checked by a doctor.

The following symptoms could be a sign of cancer, as well as other, less serious conditions:

• blood in the wee, or unable to wee properly
• unexplained lump of firmness in the body
• swollen glands
• back pain that doesn't go away
• persistent headaches
• frequent bruising
• feeling tired all the time
• unexplained fits or changes in vision or behaviour
• tummy pain or swelling all the time
• unexplained vomiting
• unexplained sweating or fever
• unexplained weight loss
• changes in appearance of the eye or unusual eye reflections in photos
• frequent infections or flu-like symptoms

The most common forms of the disease to affect children are leukaemia and brain tumours.

LEUKAEMIA

One in three children battling cancer will be diagnosed with a form of leukaemia, or blood cancer.

There are five different forms of leukaemia, but two acute forms are most common in children, according to Cancer Research UK.

They are acute myeloid leukaemia and acute lymphblastic leukaemia, the latter of which is more common in youngsters.

The word acute means these diseases can develop very quickly.

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Leukaemia happens when the bone marrow produces white blood cells too fast, causing them to grow and divide quickly.

These leukaemic cells can then spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes and spleen.

If it isn't treated this form of the disease can cause death within a few weeks or months.

Symptoms include:

• feeling tired
• having a high temperature
• suffering lots of infections
• bruising easily or bleeding easily
• weight loss
• aches and pains
• swollen lymph glands in the neck, armpit or groin, which can be sore to touch

The difference between the two acute forms lies in the white blood cells that the disease affects.

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White blood cells typically help fight infection, launching attacks on foreign bodies that invade the bloodstream.

But, if the body makes abnormal white blood cells, they no longer work properly.

Too many white blood cells can overcrowd the bone marrow, meaning there isn't enough space for other types of blood cells.

As a result you can have lower levels of red blood cells and platelets.

Having too few red blood cells makes you tired and breathless, or anaemic. And a lack of platelets can cause problems with bleeding, bruising and nosebleeds for example.

As abnormal white blood cells build-up in parts of the lymphatic system, such as the spleen and lymph nodes, it can make them swell.

It can make a person's tummy swell and feel uncomfortable.

Leukaemia cells can also spread to the brain and testicles in boys.

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BRAIN TUMOURS

Cancers of the brain and spinal cord are another form that can commonly affect kids.

One in four youngsters battling the disease will be diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The most common symptoms of brain tumours are:

• headaches - one in three people with a brain tumour will first complain of a headache
• fits and seizures - one of the most common symptoms of a brain tumour
• nausea and vomiting - caused by a build up of pressure in the skull
• drowsiness - usually a later symptom, linked to the growing pressure the tumour places on the brain
• eye problems - blurred vision, floating shapes, tunnel vision or a loss of vision that comes and goes, could be a sign of a brain tumour

Other, rare types of childhood cancer are:

• retinoblastoma - a type of eye cancer
• neuroblastoma - a cancer of the nerve cells
• Wilm's tumours -  a form of kidney cancer
• muscle or bone cancers, including osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewings sarcoma
• lymphoma - cancer that starts in the lymphatic system