09/22/2020
September is a time to acknowledge the thousands of children and their families who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis!
In the U.S., 43 children receive a cancer diagnosis each day — nearly 16,000 per year. That’s 1 in 285 children.
Of every eight children diagnosed with cancer, one will not survive.
Only 4 percent of National Cancer Institute research funding goes to study pediatric cancer.
One hospitalization for a pediatric cancer patient costs more than $40,000 on average.
The types of cancers that occur most often in children are different from those seen in adults. The most common cancers of children are:
* Leukemia
* Brain and spinal cord tumors
* Neuroblastoma
* Wilms tumor
* Lymphoma (including both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin)
* Rhabdomyosarcoma
* Retinoblastoma
* Bone cancer (including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma)
Leukemia
-Leukemias, which are cancers of the bone marrow and blood, are the most common childhood cancers. They account for about 28% of all cancers in children.
Brain and spinal cord tumors
-Brain and spinal cord tumors are the second most common cancers in children, making up about 26% of childhood cancers. There are many types of brain and spinal cord tumors, and the treatment and outlook for each is different.
Neuroblastoma
-Neuroblastoma starts in early forms of nerve cells found in a developing embryo or fetus. About 6% of childhood cancers are neuroblastomas. This type of cancer develops in infants and young children. It is rare in children older than 10.
Wilms tumor
-Wilms tumor (also called nephroblastoma) starts in one, or rarely, both kidneys. It is most often found in children about 3 to 4 years old, and is uncommon in older children and adults. It can show up as a swelling or lump in the belly (abdomen). Sometimes the child might have other symptoms, like fever, pain, nausea, or poor appetite. Wilms tumor accounts for about 5% of childhood cancers.
Lymphomas
-Lymphomas start in immune system cells called lymphocytes. These cancers most often start in lymph nodes or in other lymph tissues, like the tonsils or thymus. They can also affect the bone marrow and other organs. Symptoms depend on where the cancer starts and can include weight loss, fever, sweats, tiredness (fatigue), and lumps (swollen lymph nodes) under the skin in the neck, armpit, or groin.
**The 2 main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma (sometimes called Hodgkin disease) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Both types occur in children and adults**
Rhabdomyosarcoma
-Rhabdomyosarcoma starts in cells that normally develop into skeletal muscles.This type of cancer can start nearly any place in the body, including the head and neck, groin, belly (abdomen), pelvis, or in an arm or leg. It may cause pain, swelling (a lump), or both. This is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children. It makes up about 3% of childhood cancers.
Retinoblastoma
-Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye. It accounts for about 2% of childhood cancers. It usually occurs in children around the age of 2, and is seldom found in children older than 6.
Bone cancers
-Cancers that start in the bones occur most often in older children and teens, but they can develop at any age. They account for about 3% of childhood cancers.
Two main types of primary bone cancers occur in children:
*Osteosarcoma is most common in teens.
*Ewing sarcoma is a less common type of bone cancer. It is most often found in young teens.
