International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, when globally, countries honour and remember children and families affected by this disease, and rally awareness on the early warning signs of childhood cancer.

Choc Childhood Cancer Foundation SA encourages South Africans to “Go for Gold” by purchasing the gold ribbon from the online Choc store or nearest Choc offices.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine the types of cancers that develop in children are often different from those in adults.

Childhood cancers are often the result of DNA changes in cells and unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors, therefore no preventative measure can be taken. Early detection creates a better chance of survival.

Recent estimates by the International Agency for Research on cancer show that the global occurrence of childhood cancer is higher than previously assessed.

Worldwide, approximately 215 000 cancers are diagnosed a year in those younger than 15 and about 85 000 cancers in those aged 15 to 19. This means globally, 300 000 parents across all ages, ethnic groups and socioeconomic conditions will be hearing the words “your child has cancer”. Many childhood cancers have much higher survival rates when diagnosed early.

Unfortunately, signs are sometimes overlooked or misdiagnosed because early symptoms are mistakenly attributed to more common injuries or illnesses such as constant headaches, mumps, new squint and more as stipulated in the early warning signs of childhood cancer.

Leaflets detailing these early warning signs are also available from Choc as part of the organisation’s awareness programme, which includes training health care workers, traditional healers, and communities in detecting these vital early warning signs.

Support Childhood Cancer Month – “go gold”, because the future of our precious children is not to be compromised.