September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that…
In the United States, cancer is the number 1 killer of children by disease.
Each year, about 3,000 children die from Cancer – more than from Asthma, Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, Congenital Anomalies, and Pediatric AIDS combined.
Currently, one in every 330 Americans develops cancer during childhood or adolescence, before the age of 20. On the average, 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every weekday in the United States.
Nationally, the incidence of cancer in children is more than 20 times greater than the incidence of AIDS in children.
Pediatric cancer funding is nominal in comparison to other more publicized diseases, such as pediatric AIDS or juvenile diabetes, which increase in awareness each year.
Awareness of much needed funding for Pediatric Cancer is virtually absent from the public eye due to lack of media attention. For example, the funding for pediatric AIDS is four times greater than the funding for pediatric cancer, yet in comparison, twice as many children die of cancer in one month as do die of AIDS in one year.
The cases of pediatric cancer are increasing at a rate of 1% every year, while funding for research continues to be minimal.
Cancer during adolescence and young adulthood is increasing and unexplained; progress in treating cancer in these age groups is lagging.
Although cancer survival among children, in particular, those with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), has risen, there are still several childhood cancers that continue to have a very poor prognosis; including brain stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas, relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, relapsed Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia.
Cancer in childhood occurs regularly, randomly and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region.
A number of the advances in adult cancer treatment are due to breakthroughs in childhood cancer research.
Only about 20% of adults with cancer show evidence that the disease has spread to distant sites on the body at diagnosis yet 80% of children are diagnosed with advanced disease.
Chances are that your child will not get cancer: the odds of your child developing cancer by the age of 19 is approximately 1 in 330. But, cancer is second only to accidents as a cause of death in children.
And, just as you put your child in a car seat or a seat belt each time you get into the car, just as you teach your child to play safely, just as you watch your young child constantly so that he or she does not get hurt, so you also need to watch for signs of childhood cancer.
Signs of Childhood CancerSigns of Childhood Cancer:
Continued, unexplained weight lossHeadaches, often with early morning vomitingIncreased swelling or persistent pain in bones, joints, back, or legsLump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis, or armpitsDevelopment of excessive bruising, bleeding, or rash
Constant infectionsA whitish color behind the pupilNausea which persists or vomiting without nauseaConstant tiredness or noticeable palenessEye or vision changes which occur suddenly and persistRecurrent or persistent fevers of unknown origin
As a parent, you need to be aware of the symptoms of childhood cancer. Your pediatrician is probably a very good doctor, but pediatricians are busy, they do not know your child as well as you do, and they may never have diagnosed childhood cancer. You need to know to trust your own intuition when you feel that there is really something wrong with your child, even if the doctor initially interprets the symptoms as a common child ailment. Your doctor may be right, but you need to make sure that certain tests are performed to rule out cancer.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Increase your awareness. Childhood cancer is not all that uncommon. The public needs to be aware that childhood cancer occurs in 1 in every 330 children by the age of 19, and that childhood cancer has not yet been "cured". Awareness will hopefully lead to increased private donations as well as increased governmental funding of childhood cancer research.
Awareness Organizations
There is a plethora of organizations, small and large, that work to raise awareness for childhood cancer and to advocate for children who have or had cancer. Most of these organizations also help cancer families in one way or another. CureSearch, the fund-raising arm of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), is probably the largest such organization in the US. Candlelighters is another large and influential awareness group; it is founded and run by parents of children who have or had cancer.
Become a Blood, Platelet, or Bone Marrow Doner. So many adults and children die before a Bone Marrow match is found. www.marrow.org and www.americasblood.org
Become a ChemoAngel. Chemo Angels are a group of volunteers that are dedicated to bringing a ray of sunshine to those undergoing the treatment of cancer. www.chemoangels.net
Support Sites:
www.curesearch.org
www.candlelighters.org
www.stbaldricks.org
www.goldribbons.com
www.stjude.org
www.locksoflove.org