CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is recognized every September by families, caregivers, researchers and charities around the world to honor children who have fought and are still fighting pediatric cancer. A Presidential Proclamation recognizing National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month was first issued by President Barack Obama in September 2012.

The gold ribbon is the international symbol for childhood cancer.

Many individuals will wear gold or a gold ribbon during the month of September to help raise awareness for pediatric cancer and honor or memorialize the children who have fought this disease.

Four Diamonds child Adley conquering B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

HELP KIDS LIKE ADLEY TODAY

HOW YOU CAN RAISE AWARENESS & HELP KIDS FIGHTING CANCER DURING CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Whether you are looking to spread the word about the importance of cancer research or you want to participate in an event supporting kids fighting cancer, there are many fundraising activities that you can be a part of to help kids in your community and around the world.

MAKE A LIFE-SAVING GIFT

1. FUNDRAISE FOR FOUR DIAMONDS FAMILIES AND PLAY FOR THE KIDS™!

Our work depends on you. Make a difference by turning what you love into a fundraiser for Four Diamonds families.

Kids undergoing cancer treatment often miss out on so many of the simple things we all remember about childhood. From now through September, you can play to honor the childhood that every kid deserves.

Gather your friends and family to start your own fundraiser or support one of our featured challenges. Play For The Kids is underway and culminates in celebration at the end of September—Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Learn more and register here!

2. RAISE AWARENESS FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER AND INFLUENCE CHANGE.

Download and share Four Diamonds posters and childhood cancer statistics.
Follow Four Diamonds on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to share our photos, videos and stories with your own social networks using #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth and #GoGoldFTK.
Support upcoming events benefitting Four Diamonds families by clicking here.
Share these powerful childhood cancer statistics on your own social media networks.

I have joined Four Diamonds in the fight to conquer childhood cancer. Learn more at FourDiamonds.org to donate and get involved. #GoGoldFTK

Did you know that in the U.S., more than 16,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year? That’s one child every 33 minutes. Four Diamonds is working to help all children survive and thrive. Learn more at FourDiamonds.org #GoGoldFTK

Thanks to research, there are more than 500,000 childhood cancer survivors in the U.S. #GoGoldFTK

Research saves lives, and Four Diamonds is leading the discovery of new and improved treatments and cures for kids around the world. #GoGoldFTK

3. SUPPORT A FOUR DIAMONDS FUNDRAISER TO HELP CONQUER CHILDHOOD CANCER.

Support, organize or participate in a Four Diamonds Mini-THON®

Mini-THONs engage K-12 students in the powerful movement to conquer childhood cancer. Mini-THONs bring the entire school community together and teach students teamwork, leadership and creativity while empowering youth and young adults through philanthropy and community service. Like THON™, Mini-THONs hold year-round fundraising activities that support Four Diamonds and the families we serve by funding world-class medical care and life-saving cancer research.

To start a Mini-THON or participate in your school’s Mini-THON events, learn more and find your local Mini-THON school.

CHILDHOOD CANCER FACTS

Treatment outcomes for children with cancer have made tremendous improvements over the past 50 years, but the reality is one in five children with cancer will still die of their disease within five years.* Four Diamonds is on a mission to change this reality. Thanks to your support, our researchers are leading the search for innovative cancer treatments and working with national consortiums to help improve survival rates. You can help more children and families fighting cancer by raising awareness and taking action For The Kids®.

STATISTICS ABOUT PEDIATRIC CANCER

About 16,000 children in the United States under the age of 19 will be diagnosed with cancer this year.
Every two minutes, somewhere in the world a family hears the devastating words “your child has cancer.”
Childhood cancer continues to be the most common cause of death by disease for children in the United States.
Childhood cancer is not one disease – there are more than 12 major types of pediatric cancers and over 100 subtypes .
About 1,250 children younger than 15 years old are expected to die from cancer this year.
Because of research and major treatment advances, more than 85 percent of children with cancer now survive 5 years or more.
Overall, this is a huge increase since the mid-1970s, when the 5-year survival rate was less than 60 percent.

HOW DO CELLS BECOME CANCER CELLS?

Cells become cancer cells because of damage to DNA. DNA is in every cell and directs all its actions.

In a normal cell, when DNA is damaged the cell either repairs the damage or the cell dies. In cancer cells, the damaged DNA is not repaired, but the cell doesn’t die like it should. Instead, this cell goes on making new cells that the body does not need. These new cells will all have the same damaged DNA as the first cell does.

HOW IS CANCER IN CHILDREN DIFFERENT FROM CANCER IN ADULTS?

Cancer can begin when cells grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer and can spread to other areas of the body.

The types of cancers that develop in children are often different from the types that develop in adults. Childhood cancers are often the result of DNA changes in cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth. Unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors.

Cancers in children are different from cancers in adults, and the tolerance to treatments is also different.

Sources: www.cancer.gov; www.cancer.gov / Cancer / Cancer-In-Children; www.acco.org

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ABOUT PEDIATRIC CANCER & FOUR DIAMONDS’ RESEARCH

Learn more about the Four Diamonds Childhood Cancer Innovation Initiative.

See more about childhood cancer statistics: