Childhood Cancer Information

Before Cancer invaded our lives, we didn’t know how pervasive childhood cancer is, and how underfunded childhood cancer research is.  Now we know.  And we feel obligated to share what we have learned…

Childhood Cancer by the Numbers

• Every school day 46 children will be diagnosed with cancer.
• There are 12 major childhood cancers.
• Less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s annual budget funds childhood cancer research.
• Childhood cancer is the #1 killer of children and teenagers, more than any other disease.
• Survival rates, while improving, have leveled at around 75%.
• Each day 7 children die from cancer and nearly 40,000 children are in treatment.
• Treatments for childhood cancer have not changed for 20 years, with “down-sized” adult treatments being the primary means.
• These treatments leave 60% of the SURVIVORS with long-term health issues ranging from infertility to developmental problems to major organ damage to higher risk for secondary cancers.

 

Did You Know?

• SEPTEMBER is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

• Take this short but enlightening survey and find out how much (or little) you know about childhood cancer.  Here are the results of the 2010 survey.

• The American Cancer Society spends 35X more on fundraising than it spends on childhood cancer research.  And the U.S. Government spends over 100x more on foreign aid than it spends on childhood cancer research through NCI.  Here's a doctor's presentation of these facts. 

 

News Stories

• Philadelphia Inquirer - Funding next generation of cancer cures
• USATODAY.com - Who's fighting cancer in kids? 
• USATODAY.com:  Shortages of pediatric cancer drugs are common 

 

Childhood Cancer Organizations That We Support

Solving Kids' Cancer -- Funding solutions to improve childhood survivorship

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer – Believes that research is the key to a cure

People Against Childhood Cancer (PAC2) – Raising awareness and advocacy 

Hyundai – Has donated over $23 million to the fight thanks to its Hope on Wheels program

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Committed to treatment and research 

Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research (NCCCR) – Received $250,000 grant from B+ 

Children's Cause Cancer Advocacy (CCCA) -- Advocating for, educating and training cancer survivors

 

What is the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project?

Led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project will examine  the genome, or genetic blueprints, of more than 600 childhood cancer patients.  They will look at the DNA in a tumor cell and compare the differences with a normal, healthy cell to identify the genetic mistakes, or mutations, leading to cancer.  Identifying these mutations will enable scientists to explore the biological switches that drive cancer.  This knowledge will be the foundation for advancements in diagnosing, treating, and hopefully preventing childhood cancer.  The B+ Foundation is proud to be a financial supporter of the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project.

What is the High-Throughput Screening Device that The B+ Foundation funded?

The High-Throughput Screening Device that we funded in Andrew's name is robotic equipment that allows the researchers at the Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research to screen thousands of potential drugs in a much shorter time than if they had to do it manually.  This will speed up the screening process to help drive the discovery of more effective drug therapies. 

What about Bone Marrow Transplants?

The B+ Foundation works with DKMS, one of the largest international bone marrow registration organizations, to provide FREE bone marrow registration at many B+ events.   This is important work because many children (and adults) with cancer require a bone marrow transplant in order to survive.

• Only 30% of patients find a donor match within their family.  70% of patients depend on a complete stranger to give them a second chance at life.
• There are currently 14.4 million bone marrow donors registered worldwide.  Around 8 million of them are registered here in the U.S.
• Still, only 4 out 10 patients will receive the transplant that can save their life.

More donors are needed, especially those from ethnically diverse backgrounds.  For example, only 17% of African-Americans and 25% of Asian-Americans are able to find donor matches.  

And if you’re lucky enough to be needed as a match, new methods of harvesting the bone marrow are significantly less painful than you may have heard.  If you’d like to find out more, please visit DKMS. 

Here’s a story that aired on CBS’s Sunday Morning show:  Gift of a Lifetime.