- Each day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S.
- One in every 330 American children develop cancer before the age of 20.
- Each year in the U.S. over 12,600 children will be diagnosed with cancer.
- Childhood cancer is the #1 disease killer of American children - more than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and AIDS, combined.
- Treatment of childhood cancer is intense and typically involves: surgery-radiation-chemotherapy
- There are currently more than 270,000 childhood cancer survivors in the U.S.
- Late effects of childhood cancer treatment are common in survivors, and approximately one-third are moderate to severe.
- Neuro-cognitive deficits (often loss of 10-50 IQ points)
- Heart failure
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Treatment-induced secondary cancers
- Cataracts
- Hearing loss
- Endocrine abnormalities
- Loss of health care coverage (pre-existing condition when they reach adulthood)
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- Although cure rates are steadily increasing, 35% of children will die and we are prepared to help parents with funeral expenses, as well as, grief counseling.
- Scientists still do not know the exact causes of most cancers.
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