Cancer is the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 14, the first is unintentional accidents.

For adolescents aged 14-19, cancer is the fourth leading cause of death—the first three are unintentional accidents, homicide, and suicide.

These statistics come from the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, last year approximately 16,000 children and adolescents in the United States under the age of 20 were diagnosed with some form of cancer.

The good news is that the 5-year survival rate overall for those diagnosed is about 83%. In the mid-1970s the 5-year survival rate was in the low 60% range.

The bad news is that unless there is a breakthrough in the foreseeable future upwards of half a million more children, in the US alone, will be diagnosed before the year 2050.

Cause

What makes pediatric cancer such a perplexing puzzle is that there are very few environmental or lifestyle-associated risks. Without getting deep into the weeds of the science, which I am hardly qualified to do, the vast majority of these illnesses are the result of gene variants and mutations. These mutations are also very seldom inherited.

There are no recommended screening processes for healthy kids.

Long term effects

While the overall trend in the 5-year survival rate is encouraging the quality of life for some of those survivors is not always rosy. Some of the long-term effects include:

• Heart or lung problems (due to certain chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy to the chest area)
• Slowed or delayed growth and development (in the bones or overall)
• Changes in sexual development and ability to have children
• Learning problems
• Increased risk of other cancers later in life

The psychological effect can also be daunting.

This beast must be eradicated.

Final thoughts

What I have outlined in this article is just a small glimpse and is meant for awareness purposes only.

No child should go through the pain and rigors that cancer and its treatment will bring. While we have come a long way in the fight, we still have a way to go. There are a host of fine institutions that are on the front lines against this disease. They can always use your help.

The families of pediatric cancer patients also bear an incredible burden, be there for them as well.

In Loving Memory of SJVM–1988-2011