September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Posted in Children & Youth | ShowMe Cares

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Every year, thousands of children across the globe are diagnosed with cancer, an illness that is life threatening in the majority of cases. Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 15. Unfortunately, the causes of paediatric cancer are still largely unknown, and although new discoveries are resulting in new treatments, this heartbreaking disease continues to scar families and communities in ways that may never fully heal.

Early diagnosis can save lives.

Due to a lack of awareness, among other challenges, only a third of the actual amount of childhood cancer cases in South Africa is diagnosed annually. This means that two thirds of children with cancer in South Africa do not have a fighting chance. In many diagnosed cases, diagnosis happens in too late a stage to offer the patient treatment options, resulting in a high childhood cancer mortality rate.

In developed countries, the survival rate for children with cancer can be as high as 80-90%. However, in developing countries, which include South Africa, the successful treatment rate is an alarming 10-20%. LFCT believes that increased awareness surrounding the early warning signs of childhood cancer, will positively affect this bleak statistic, especially as the potential is there for up to 70% of all childhood cancers to be cured IF diagnosed in time.

Worldwide September is Childhood cancer Awareness Month. The aim is to educate people on the signs of childhood cancer to aid early detection and to support the children suffering this terrible disease.

12 Mayor Types of Childhood Cancer

The Gold Awareness Ribbon represents the twelve major types of Childhood Cancers. To read more on these different types of cancers, click HERE.

Little Fighters Cancer Trust

The Little Fighters Cancer Trust is a nationally operational Childhood Cancer Support Organization which actively and vocally promotes Childhood Cancer Awareness.

Equipped with nothing more than passion and very little public funding, LFCT strives to, not only curb the financially and emotionally devastating effects which childhood cancer has on families, but also to actively run childhood cancer awareness campaigns during the entire year as a major priority.