Sep 19th, 2022
One in 285 children in the US will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and we need your help to amplify the message that children impacted by cancer need our support, and funding is important to create better and safer cancer treatment for kids.
Every 3 minutes a family hears the devastating words that their child has been diagnosed with cancer.
Most childhood cancers fall into one of several specific types and tend to be more aggressive than adult cancers. They are rare, and only specially-trained doctors have the knowledge and experience to properly treat them. To learn more, click here.
Varying Types
(And their common symptoms)
Childhood cancer is a general term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body such as the bone, brain, blood, liver, nerve, eye, kidney, and more. These are just some of the varying types of cancers in children. For a more comprehensive list from Alex's Lemonade Stand, click here.
- Osteosarcoma – bone cancer
- Pain in a bone
- Stiffness, swelling or tenderness around a bone/joint
- Interference with normal movements
- Weak bones leading to fractures
- Fatigue, fever, weight loss, anemia
- Brain cancers – brain stem tumors
- Staring and repeated automatic movements
- Persistent vomiting without known cause
- Walking and balance problems
- Progressive weakness, clumsiness
- Nausea, sleep apnea, neck tilt or squint, vision problems
- Leukemia – blood cancer
- Lethargy, weakness, paleness, dizziness
- Swollen lymph nodes, bloated or tender stomach
- Easy bruising, unusual bleeding, frequent nose bleeds
- Bleeding gums and petechiae (red pinpoints on skin)
- Loss of appetite, weight loss, night sweats, irritability
1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. will not survive.
Fighting Back
(With your help)
Today, we have only six drugs made specifically for childhood cancer.
Many of today’s treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, haven’t improved in years. They have significant side effects that affect children’s growing bodies for the rest of their lives. We need treatments for kids that are targeted – ones that can seek out and destroy cancer cells only, leaving healthy ones alone.
To help fight this battle, consider supporting these organizations or others that dedicate their mission to childhood cancer and research for treatments and cures.
- American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO)
- National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF)
- Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer
- Children's Cancer Research Fund
- Childhood Cancer International (CCI)
This September, let's come together to spread awareness about childhood cancer. Together, we can take a stand in support of those impacted and raise funds for a very worthy cause.
Source: ACCO, Children's Cancer Research Fund
