Did you know: #1 - Childhood
cancer is the #1 killer disease of our children, more than from asthma,
diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and pediatric AIDS
combined?
#2 - 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer before age 20?
#3 - Each year 3,000 children die and 40,000 are in treatment.
#4 - The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer 7%; while all 12 major groups of pediatric cancerscombined LESS THAN 3%
#5 - Childhood cancer has a huge societal impact - 180,000 potential years of life are lost to it EVERY year! And 60% of survivors face long term health issues!
Brain
cancers account for about 15% of pediatric cancers and are the second
most common type of cancer in children. Since the brain controls learning, memory, senses (hearing, visual, smell, taste, touch),
emotions, muscles, organs, and blood vessels, the presentation of
symptoms varies accordingly.
Treatment of pediatric brain cancers (and
non-malignant brain tumors) is more complex than is the treatment of
some of the other childhood cancers. Surgery to remove the tumor is not
always possible, either because the tumor is inaccessible or because
surgical removal of the tumor would damage critical parts of the
developing brain. Inoperable areas of the brain include the brain stem,
thalamus, motor area, and deep areas of gray matter.
The prognosis of a
brain tumor depends not only on the type, grade, and size of the tumor,
but on its location in the brain. Another reason that malignant brain
tumors can be difficult to treat is because the blood-brain barrier
prevents chemotherapy from entering the brain and reaching the tumor
when given systemically.
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