awareness

September

is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Families, caregivers, charities and research groups across the United States observe September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In the U.S., 12,400 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed every year. A diagnosis turns the lives of the entire family upside down. The objective of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is to put a spotlight on the types of cancer that largely affect children and importantly to help raise funds for research and family support.

signs and symptoms

Continual, unexpected weight loss

Headaches, often with vomiting – at night or early morning

Increased swelling, or persistent pain in bones, joints, back or legs

Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis, or armpits

Development of excessive bruising, bleeding or rash

Constant infections

A whitish color behind the pupil

Nausea which persists or vomiting without nausea

Constant tiredness or noticeable paleness

Eye or vision changes which occur suddenly and persist

Recurrent fevers of unknown origin

facts

  • By the age of 20, one child or teen in 330 is diagnosed with cancer.
  • Each year 12,400 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed in the United States.
  • More children die of cancer than of any other disease, including asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies and AIDS, COMBINED.
  • In general, the overall five-year relative survival rate (the percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) of children with cancer is around 80%.
  • Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region.
  • Every two minutes a parent hears the devastating news, “Your child has cancer.”
  • The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented.
  • Leukemia’s and cancers of the brain and central nervous system account for more than half of childhood cancers.

More information can be found on the National Cancer Institute website.

helpful links

Includes links to additional resources helpful to families during their childhood cancer journey. 

Proclamation on National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, 2023

Presidential Proclamation — National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, 2023

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