It’s almost unimaginable to think about a child that is battling cancer, but it happens more often than you may think. In fact, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO), almost 16,000 people under the age of 21 in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year.
What is perhaps more alarming is that up to 1-quarter of those affected will not survive, according to the organization—a sad reality for many families. However, early detection and awareness are keys to winning the battle, which is an aim of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. In the spirit of that, here are seven facts about the juvenile disease…
1. Blood Cancers are the Most Common Among Children
The American Cancer Society (ACS) lists leukemia (cancer of the blood or bone marrow) among the biggest killers of young people. It occurs in about 1 of 3-cases of childhood and teen cancers, according to the ACS.
Most cases of leukemia are called acute lymphocytic leukemia, which can strike in children aged two and even younger. It starts from the bone marrow where blood cells are created, and can “invade the blood fairly quickly,” notes the society. Without treatment, this aggressive form of childhood cancer can claim a life within months.