Devan as a child undergoing treatment for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is a time when we celebrate advances in childhood cancer treatment and survivorship care, remember the children we’ve lost, and engage new advocates to join in our mission of achieving a day when every child with cancer can live a long and healthy life.

Devan today, about to start college in the fall of 2024, with plans to study global health

Together, we’re making a difference in the lives of kids like Devan.

Devan is one of more than 500,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the United States. Diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia when he was 20 months old, Devan underwent a grueling treatment regimen that included chemo and an unexpected brain surgery.

When he relapsed at age four and urgently needed a bone marrow transplant, there was no donor match — as is too often the case with mixed-race patients. He received high-dose chemo and an experimental stem cell transplant instead.

Devan is acutely aware that his survival was possible only because he was treated at a top research hospital with access to groundbreaking care.

“In the past three three decades, my type of cancer has gone from a death sentence to a treatable disease,” he says. “I owe my life to modern medicine, and crucially, access to medicine.”

As we mark our 25th anniversary year, we celebrate kids like Devan, while also recognizing that there is still much work to be done. Too many children are still dying from cance or from the long-term late effects of treatment, which can include second cancers and heart failure. Too many families are still struggling to access high-quality care, including financial and psychosocial support.

We are more committed than ever to advancing policies and programs that accelerate the development of safer, more effective cancer therapies for children and better address the unique needs and lifelong health challenges experienced by the nation’s 500,000 childhood cancer survivors and their families.

Will you give today and fuel our progress toward a brighter future?

 
 

PARTICIPATE IN A SEPTEMBER 2024 EVENT

Rally for Medical Research Training and Hill Day: September18-19, 2024
- Register by September 4 to participate in DC

15th Annual Congressional Childhood Cancer Summit: September: September 19 from 9:45 AM - 12:00 PM
- Hosted by Representatives Michael McCaul, Mike Kelly, Kathy Castor and Ami Bera
- Register to attend

CureFest: September 20-22
Children's Cancer Cause is proud to be a bronze sponsor of CureFest, an annual community-building series of events in Washington, DC.
- See the full schedule of events
- Register to attend
- Submit a photo to the Tribute Wall

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY SHARING ONE OF THESE GRAPHICS

All of the following social graphics have been created by Children’s Cancer Cause for anyone to use. Right click any graphic to save it to your device (or hold down on the image on a smartphone) for easy sharing on your social platforms. If you tag us in your post (@childrenscause), we’ll re-share out to our own network of followers with our thanks for your support. You are welcome to add your organization, team, or group’s logo or name to any of these graphics. Below the graphics are sample messages you can share as captions to your post, adapted as you see fit.

If you’re looking for custom content that matches your team or organization’s colors, mascot, or brand, please reach out using the form on this page and we’ll see what we can come up with for you. We love to find new creative ways to spread awareness about childhood cancer!

Find more social-sharing graphics here, including alternate size options: our toolkit for organizations or for individuals.

KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT CHILDHOOD CANCER

  • In 2024, an estimated 9,620 children (aged birth to 14 years) and 5,290 adolescents (aged 15–19 years) will be diagnosed with cancer.

  • Childhood cancer is not one disease – there are more than 12 major types of pediatric cancers and over 100 subtypes.

  • Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease among children. Worldwide, 100,000 children lose their lives every year to cancer.

  • Only six drugs have been approved in the first instance for use in children. This is compared with hundreds of drugs that have been developed and approved for adults.

  • Despite numerous clinical trials, a diagnosis of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is typically terminal, with only 10% of DIPG patients surviving for even two years after diagnosis.

  • More than 95% of childhood cancer survivors will have a significant health related issue by the time they are 45 years of age; these health related issues are side-effects of either the cancer or more commonly, the result of its treatment.

Source: Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2)