The Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act passed.
We thank the representatives and senators who voted "yes" and then President George W. Bush for signing the bill into law.
But the bill only authorizes the requested funds. It does not guarantee the funds.
What are we asking for? That you please write to your U.S. senators and representatives to a) support full funding of the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act and b) increase funding for cancer research at the National Cancer Institute. How? Through CureSearch's website by clicking » here «.
Why? According to CureSearch, "childhood cancer remains the #1 cause of death due to disease in children".
Who is CureSearch? Click here to find out.
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Cancer does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex or race
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- Cancer kills more children than any other disease.
- Each year cancer kills more children between 1 and 20 years of age than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS, combined.
- Every year, over 12,500 young people are diagnosed with cancer.
- Each year about 2,300 children and teenagers die from cancer.
- One in every 330 Americans develops cancer before age 20.
- Some forms of childhood cancer have proven to be so resistant that even in spite of the great research strides made, most of those children die. Up to 75 percent of the children with cancer can now be cured.
- Brain tumors are now the most common cause of cancer -related death in children and are the most common solid tumor of childhood. Neuroblastoma is the second most common pediatric solid tumor (after brain tumors) and represents a major therapeutic challenge. More than 50 percent of children with metastatic disease still die despite aggressive, toxic chemotherapy regimens.
- The causes of most childhood cancers are not yet known.
- Childhood cancers are mostly those of the white blood cells (leukemias), brain, bone, the lymphatic system, and tumors of the muscles, kidneys, and nervous system. Each of these behaves differently, but all are characterized by an uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells.
- Eighty percent of the children who are diagnosed with cancer have disease which has already spread to distant sites in the body.
- Ninety percent of children with a form of pediatric cancer are treated at one of the more than 200 Children's Oncology Group member institutions throughout the United States.
