Childhood Cancer Essay

549 Words2 Pages

It is a parent’s worst nightmare. According to a newly published study in The New England Journal of Medicine, a substantial number of children with cancer carry cancer-predisposing mutations inherited from a parent. Pediatric, or childhood cancer is a severely mysterious case. Typically, most cancers in the general population are caused by genetic mutations over the course of a lifetime, and young children (especially under the age of 15 years) have not been around long enough to experience large doses of UV radiation, chemicals or growth exposures that are the cause of cancer growth.
Despite major and exciting medical advances – spurring an overall survival rate of 10 percent just fifty years ago to nearly 90 percent today, for many rare forms of childhood cancers, the survival rate is much lower. …show more content…

“It is important for families to identify and know the facts, especially once their child is diagnosed. It is also important for families to find a safe place where the can learn different skills and ways to assist their children in ways they never thought they would have to before”, states Cohen. So, what are the facts? According to the National Cancer Institute of America, Michigan pediatric cancer rates for children below the age of 15 is currently above the national rate. According to the Children’s Environmental Health Association, in Michigan pediatric cancer is the second leading cause of death in children 15 years and younger behind accidents. Finally, according to Detroit’s Premier Business Journal, Michigan has been considered a cancer “hot spot” since

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