Approximately 15,780 children ages 0-19 will receive a cancer diagnosis before September Childhood Cancer Awareness month next year according to American Cancer Society.
Cancer, a word no one wants to associate with anyone, much less a child, unfortunately children aren’t shielded from the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute 1 out of every 530 adults, between the ages of 20-39 years is a survivor of childhood cancer.
County School District has approximately 6400 enrolled students walking the halls of the schools each day. According to the above statistic from the National Cancer Institute, approximately 12 students within the school district will become a childhood cancer survivor. This statistic only reflects estimated survivors. It doesn’t account for potential diagnosis or lives lost battling childhood cancer.
American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute cite approximately 46 children, in the United States alone, are told each day they have cancer and an estimated 50 thousand children are currently hospitalized with the disease.
Additional statistics/facts cited by American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute state included:
• Approximately 1 in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday.
• An estimated 2,000 children will lose their life to cancer this year.
• The number of children diagnosed with cancer continues to rise at a greater increase than any other age group, except over the age of 65 years.
• The Federal Government is estimated to dedicate only 4% of its funding for cancer research to pediatric cancer research.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death among children following accidents.
Despite advances in treatment options additional funding is needed to identify effective treatments to reduce the number of children losing their life to cancer as well as the short and long-term side effects caused by treatments. Steadily yearly awareness has continued to yield additional research funding resulting in positive strides made in treatment options, survival rates and early detection.
Dedicating September to childhood cancer awareness shows support to families with children battling cancer, remembers those who’ve lost their life to cancer and reflects to childhood cancer survivors a cure is still being sought. This is the month to display gold bows, the representative color, wear gold shirts, donate funds to families with children battling cancer or a cause dedicated to childhood cancer research www.americancancersociety.com or www.nationalcancersociety.com or simply share the information about childhood cancer with someone. No child should have to battle this disease but by joining the venture to raise awareness you could help save a child’s life.
-Tonya Steele
