Pediatric Leukemia
Education
No one fights alone
A cancer diagnosis is terrifying, especially when its your child. Education, awareness and research are pivotal in the fight to end childhood leukemia.
Signs of Pediatric Leukemia
Fatigue- a lack of energy, getting tired faster than normal, less vibrant demeanor
Frequent infections- any time of infection such as colds, strep throat, ear infections
Swelling- any swelling ANYWHERE, especially gums or lymph nodes
Bone or joint pain- can be mistaken for 'growing pains'
Easy bruising or bleeding- bruising easily, heavier than normal menstrual flow or frequent spotting
Decreased appetite and/or weight loss
Facts About Childhood Cancer
43 children per day or 15,780 children per year are expected to be diagnosed with cancer.
Childhood cancer is not one disease – there are more than 12 major types of pediatric cancers and over 100 subtypes.
Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease among children.
About thirty five percent of children diagnosed with cancer will die within 30 years of diagnosis.
Since 1980, only four drugs have been approved in the first instance for use in children. This is compared with hundreds of drugs that have been developed specifically for adults only. Equally important, for many of the childhood cancers, the same treatments that existed in the 1970’s continue with few, if any, changes.
In 2013 there were nearly 390,000 childhood cancer survivors in the United States. This number is projected to grow to more than 500,000 by 2020.
More than 95% of childhood cancer survivors will have a significant health related issue by the time they are 45 years of age (2); these health-related issues are side-effects of either the cancer or more commonly, the result of its treatment.
Source: Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2)