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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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Survival.

      What does survival really mean?  Most cancer statistics have a little disclaimer on the end, stating that they are the five-year survival statistics.  This is fine in many adults cancers, where the average age at diagnosis is in the upper 60s, and five years is longer than their average life expectancy.  But with childhood cancer, the average age is 10, meaning a child lives to be 15.  Is this really survival?  To most people, no, but this is the form the statistics take.  Five years.  That's it.        The overall childhood cancer survival rate is about 80%.  However, since these are averages over all types of childhood cancer (over 100 kinds), they don't actually represent what these cancers are like.  ALL, the most common childhood cancer, has a survival of 87%, and retinoblastoma has a survival of 99% (keep in mind that the treatment is removal of one or both eyes).  However, the survival rat...
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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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