There are 92 drugs that are specific to pediatric disorders, conditions and illnesses. Not one is a chemotherapy or related to childhood cancers.
In 2011 the NCI budget was $5.196 billion. BREAST cancer received $625,059,909. LUNG cancer received $296,814,144. PROSTATE cancer received $288,326,756 and research for ALL types pediatric cancers was only $195,529,112.
The causes of childhood cancers are largely unknown.
In the United States, among children, from birth to age 19, more than 18,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed each year.
Cancer kills more children than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, AIDS, asthma and juvenile diabetes combined.
Cancer is still the leading cause of death from disease among U.S. children over one year of age.
While progress against childhood cancer has been made, cure rates for some pediatric cancers remain below 50 percent
Leukemia, by far, is the most expensive pediatric cancer to treat. (mean cost of $47,000 per stay)
Less than 10% of DIPG children will live longer than 18 months from diagnosis. Survival is even more rare. It is one of the most resistant of all cancers to chemotherapy to treatments.
1 in 4 elementary schools have a child fighting cancer.
The average age of death for a child with cancer is 8, causing a childhood cancer victim to lose 69 years of expected life years; a significant loss of productivity to society.
Radiation to a child’s brain can significantly damage cognitive function, or if radiation is given at a very young age, limiting the ability to read, do basic math, tell time or even talk.
About one in 500 young adults is a childhood cancer survivor. Nearly 2/3 of the survivors later experience significant and chronic medical problems or develop secondary cancers as adults that result from the treatment of their original cancer.
Problems related to cancer treatment that occur or persist after treatment is completed are known as “late effects.” Unfortunately, three out of five survivors develop late effects. There are 27 “common’ late effects.
