So this downright boggles my mind, friends. Children are the future, eh? Not judging by these figures!
What people often fail to realize is that there is no “trickle down” effect when developing drugs for adults, assuming that kids will benefit. We cannot continue to keep treating our children as just little adults. They are different! They are developing! But it’s not even just that!
In almost every instance, the types of cancers that develop in children are different from those that develop in adults. Childhood cancers are often the result of DNA changes in cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth. Unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors.
WE MUST do better for our children. WE MUST develop new medications that are safer and less toxic while we beat down every door looking for the cure.
I promise I will fight for exactly this. Will you? Because on August 14, 2013, I wasn’t a cancer parent either…