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Bald is Beautiful

   Recently, 9 year old Kamryn shaved her head at St. Baldricks in support of her friend Delaney, who is battling cancer.  In response, her school kicked her out until she either got a wig or her hair grew back.    This is the response that a young girl who took a brave step in loosing her hair was given.  She should be applauded for shaving her hair to support her friend, not ostracized from her school.  This is the response of St. Baldricks: "Kamryn, by your sacrifice and willingness to be bald like Delaney, you’re demonstrating that love is more powerful than fear and that life’s most valuable lessons are often learned outside the classroom." Kathleen Ruddy, St. Baldrick's CEO, shares her support in an open letter to Kamryn Renfro and Delaney Clements. After a massive social media campaign, Kamryn's school board voted 3 to 1 to allow her back into school.  This still means that there was an adult who thought she shouldn't be allowed back. ...
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Childhood Cancer: Updated Numbers

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  I love a good infographic and this one from Alex's Lemonade Stand is excellent and up to date. The header of the page on the website states that 47 children are diagnosed with cancer daily, which is up from the last statistic I had of 33 per day. The site links to the sources for these numbers. From the United States' fact section: Each day, 47 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States, which means more than 17,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed each year. Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in American children, resulting in the death of approximately 1,800 kids each year. As of 2018, there are approximately 483,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the U.S. This number is projected to grow to more than 500,000 in 2020. In the United States, 84% of children diagnosed with cancer are alive at least five years after diagnosis; however this does not mean they are cured or free from long-term side effects. Even those who are cured may s...
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Radiation Therapy: proton v photon

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   Traditional radiation therapy uses photons, high energy particles, to target and kill cancer tumors.  These packets of energy hit the tumor and scatter.     Proton therapy, a newer type of radiation treatment, better targets cancer.  When the protons hit the targeted tumor, there is less scatter to the body tissue surrounding the tumor.  This is especially important in sensitive areas (such as the brain, abdomen and spine), and in areas where there are still rapidly growing tissues that are not cancerous (growth plates, reproductive areas, children).  This helps lessen side effects from radiation treatment, such as brain damage, sterility and diminished/uneven growth.
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