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Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and
spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region
- 1 in 330 Americans develop cancer before the age of twenty-one.
- 2 classrooms of children are diagnosed every school day in the USA
- 1 in 4 elementary schools has a child with cancer
- The average High School has 2 current or former patients
- Cancer is the #1 disease killer of children ages 0-20 in the USA
- Causes of most childhood cancers are unknown.
- At present, childhood cancer cannot be prevented. In the United States, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults is increasing at a greater rate than any other age group, except those over 65 years.
- Only 1 new drug has been approved for the treatment of childhood cancers in the past decade.
- Most treatment options have long lasting effects; sterility, cognitive & physical development, physical debilitation
- Major Non-profit organizational annual funding for Childhood Cancer research ~ $5M of ~ $865M budget vs ~ $50M for Adult Cancers
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