- Every school day 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.
- Sadly, over 2,300 children with cancer die each year.
- 1 in 330 children will have the disease by age 20.
- Cancer kills more children than any other disease, more than Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes and Pediatric AIDS combined.
- Cancers in very young children are highly aggressive and behave unlike malignant diseases at other times in life.
- 80% of children have metastasized cancer at the time of their diagnosis. At diagnosis, only 20% of adults with cancer show evidence that the disease has spread or metastasized.
- Detecting childhood cancers at an early stage, when the disease would react more favorably to treatment, is extremely difficult.
- Cancer symptoms in children – fever, swollen glands, anemia, bruises and infection – are often suspected to be, and at the early stages are treated as, other childhood illnesses.
- Even with insurance coverage, a family will have out-of pocket expenses of about $40,000 per year, not including travel.
- Treatment can continue for several years, depending on the type of cancer and the type of therapy given.
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There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.
- The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%.
- The American Cancer Society spends less than 70 cents of each 100 dollars raised on childhood cancer.
- What Causes Childhood Cancer?
- Every family is potentially at risk.
- In almost all cases, childhood cancers arise from non-inherited mutations (or changes) in the genes of growing cells.
- As these errors occur randomly and unpredictably, there is currently no effective way to predict or prevent them.
- Most adult cancers result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupational hazards and exposure to other cancer causing agents.
- Cancer Research Funding
- Nationally, childhood cancer is 20x more prevalent than pediatric AIDS.
- Pediatric AIDS receives 4x the funding that childhood cancer receives.
- In one month there are 2x as many deaths from childhood cancer as pediatric AIDS for the entire year.
- Most drugs used for childhood cancer treatment are over 20 years old and were developed to treat adult cancers.
- Cancer treatment can cause serious side effects that often last a lifetime.
Read it and Weep. Because you should.
12 responses to “Read it and Weep. Because you should.”
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WTF!! WHAT KIND OF SHIT IS THAT!?! ONLY LESS THAN 70 CENTS PER $100 IS SPENT ON CHILD CANCER?! IT’S DISGUSTING! CLEARLY IF THEY’RE MORE DEATHS IN CHILD CANCER THAN IN PED AIDS, THEN THE MONEY SHOULD BE GOING TO CHILD CANCER FUNDS! IT MAKES ME SICK THAT LESS THAN 3% OF THE NCI’S FEDERAL BUDGET WAS DONATED TO PED CANCER!! THAT IS SUPER FUCKED UP! MAYA, I KNOW YOU ARE ONLY ONE PERSON AND CAN’T DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF, SO I WOULD LOVE TO HELP! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. IF NOTHING IS EVER SAID OR DONE THEN IT’S GOING TO KEEP HAPPENING! I HAVE TWO KIDS, A BOY,11 AND A GIRL,13. I WOULD HATE IT IF THEY WERE TO EVER GET SICK..AND I KNEW THIS SHIT WAS GOING ON, THEY WOULD HAVE A LOT OF HIGHER AUTHORITY PEOPLE NOT HAPPY WITH ME!! I WOULD BECOME THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE! I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR FAMILY ARE IN MY PRAYERS.
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I had no idea. Thank you for the education.
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70 cents per 100 dollars? That is seriously f’d up. What do you think, Maya about some of the naturopath/homeopathic stuff out there? While most of me thinks it is totally whack, my dad would have likely lost his leg (to repeated cellulitis infections) by now if he had followed western medicine and minimally would be on antibiotics for the rest of his life. Where is good research happening? Could you add to your beautiful list some good docs/hospitals/researchers so they can stop getting 70 cents out of every $100. That really makes me sick. How can the American Cancer Society do such a thing? I just do not understand.
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What a wonderful, succinct report on th facts. Thanks for posting that. Folks should copy it, carry it and share with others.
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Sadly, that doesn’t suprise me, because it feels like fucking cancer bombs are dropping all over the place, tearing through families and ruining lives. I know way too many people in totally different ways that have been devastated by cancer taking their child.
The weather forecast for this upcoming first fall weekend in Denver is fantastic; my three boys will have a lemonade stand, and the proceeds will go to the Ronan Thompson Foundation. I appreciate all you’re doing, Maya. -
It saddens me that only 70 cents if $100 goes to pediatric cancer. That’s why I’m willing to come on board with you and help you with the Ronan Thompson Foundation. Tell us Maya’s mafia where we can help!!! Peace and strength xo
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I cant believe this…I re-posted on my FB. This is so shocking!
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St. Jude’s just got a 10 dollar donation from me…they would not have gotten this if it weren’t for my new state of awareness….Maya, I thank you and childhood cancer shutters every morning that you wake up!! Keep on keepin on…cause u just made a difference! One love
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I don’t get why AIDS gets more funding for ped’s than cancer??? That doesn’t make much sense to me! Sad!
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THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!! How is that even possible!!! These are our babies, our future!! Is there a better place to donate funds to that will actually use it for children? Maya, do you suggest any other organizations that you have found to be making a difference? Thank you so much for your blog and your information!!!!
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Good information that most of us did not have, thanks.
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Maya, just posted a link to this page on Ellen Degenres’ facebook page. Getting the word out where ever I can.
ROCKSTAR RONAN 
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