Childhood cancer is devastating to growth and development in children, and devastating to their families and friends. At a time when young people should be focusing on school, play and socialising, if they have cancer, their focus can be on medication, operations, and what life they have left.
Parents of childhood cancer sufferers have the anguish of watching their children suffer, and the stress of decisions on medications and treatments as well as decisions on time of work for themselves and time off school for the child, and worst, trying to explain to a child what is happening to them and answering the resulting questions on life and faith, and worst of all is the loss of a child to cancer, a devastation that can never be put right.
Some forms of cancer are mainly or exclusively only seen in children, and that is something highlighted by the awareness month. Children can be more resilient to cancer and cancer treatments than adults, and there are many cases of triumph and complete recovery, where children make a complete recovery and grow up to normal life. But awareness, education and support are vital, which is why Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is also vital.
💝10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHILDHOOD CANCER
1. Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children in the U.S.
It’s the second leading cause of death (following accidents) in children ages 5-14.
2. Every two minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer.
3. The average age of a child diagnosed with cancer is 6.
But you don’t have to be a child to be diagnosed with childhood cancer. Childhood cancer is diagnosed in all ages, from newborn infants to children and young adults.
4. 80% of children diagnosed with cancer are in developing countries.Childhood cancer is a global problem, and one institution can’t solve it alone. That’s why we fund the very best research, no matter where it takes place.
5. The most common childhood cancer is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
In the 1950s, almost every kid with ALL died. But today, thanks to childhood cancer research, about 90% of children with ALL will survive.
6. In 80% of kids with cancer, the cancer has already spread to other areas of the body by the time it is diagnosed.That’s why so many children with cancer need to begin treatment right away. Many adult cancers can be diagnosed early.
7. Much of what we know about treating adult cancers has been learned from childhood cancer research.
Some aspects of cancer treatment today, such as combination chemotherapy, can be traced to pediatric cancer research.
8. There are over a dozen types of childhood cancer and hundred of different subtypes.
The more rare types, when added together, account for about 30% of cancers in children and adolescents. But because so few children are diagnosed with each type, it’s very difficult to do research on these cancers.
9. One in five children diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. will not survive.For the ones who do, the battle is never over.
10. Because of the treatments they had as kids, more than 99% of childhood cancer survivors will have a chronic health problem and 96% will have severe or life-threatening conditions.
💝By the time they’re 50 years old, survivors of childhood cancer experience about 5 severe or life-threatening chronic health conditions on average.
Children should not only survive, but thrive.
Types
💝The most common cancers in children are (childhood) leukemia (32%), brain tumors (18%), and lymphomas (11%). In 2005, 4.1 of every 100,000 young people under 20 years of age in the U.S. were diagnosed with leukemia, and 0.8 per 100,000 died from it. The number of new cases was highest among the 1–4 age group, but the number of deaths was highest among the 10–14 age group.
In 2005, 2.9 of every 100,000 people 0–19 years of age were found to have cancer of the brain or central nervous system, and 0.7 per 100,000 died from it. These cancers were found most often in children between 1 and 4 years of age, but the most deaths occurred among those aged 5–9.[10] The main subtypes of brain and central nervous system tumors in children are: astrocytoma, brain stem glioma, craniopharyngioma, desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma, ependymoma, high-grade glioma, medulloblastoma and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor.
Other, less common childhood cancer types are:
In 2005, 2.9 of every 100,000 people 0–19 years of age were found to have cancer of the brain or central nervous system, and 0.7 per 100,000 died from it. These cancers were found most often in children between 1 and 4 years of age, but the most deaths occurred among those aged 5–9.[10] The main subtypes of brain and central nervous system tumors in children are: astrocytoma, brain stem glioma, craniopharyngioma, desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma, ependymoma, high-grade glioma, medulloblastoma and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor.
Other, less common childhood cancer types are:
- Neuroblastoma (6%, nervous system)
- Wilms tumor (5%, kidney)
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (4%, blood)
- Childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (3%, many sites)
- Retinoblastoma (3%, eye)
- Osteosarcoma (3%, bone cancer)
- Ewing sarcoma (1%, many sites)
- Germ cell tumors (5%, many sites)
- Pleuropulmonary blastoma (lung or pleural cavity)
- Hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer)
💝 Wear Gold, and join the fight against Childhood cancer
Blogger: Egypt Assanti
ESD Baroness
(aka) Big Sister Southern Heat 💝
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