We support Children’s Memorial Hospital in their efforts to treat the spirited young people and their families affected by cancer. Although childhood cancer is rare, approximately 13,000 children under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer every year. Cancer affects people regardless of age, sex, race, geographical location or social status. Oncology, the study of cancer and tumors, has made significant progress in the prevention, treatment, and prognosis of many childhood cancers. Despite this progress, cancer is the third most common cause of death in children ages 1 to 19. Childhood cancer varies from adult cancers in development, treatment, response to therapy, tolerance of therapy, and prognosis.

What is cancer?
Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells. Cancer cells rapidly reproduce despite restriction of space, nutrients shared by other cells, or signals sent from the body to stop reproduction. Cancer cells are often shaped differently than healthy cells, they do not function properly, and they can spread to many areas of the body.
Tumors can be benign (non-cancerous), or malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors tend to grow slowly and do not spread. Malignant tumors grow rapidly, can invade and destroy nearby normal tissues, and can spread throughout the body. The term "cancer" is used when a tumor is malignant.
Cancer is malignant because it can be "locally invasive" and "metastatic":

Locally invasive: the tumor can invade the tissues surrounding it by sending out 'fingers' of cancerous cells into the normal tissue.

Metastatic: the tumor can send cells into other tissues in the body, which may be distant from the original tumor.

This information was provided by Children’s Memorial Hospital.

To learn more about the Oncologists at Children’s and schedule an appointment, click here: www.childrensmemorial.org/depts/cancer/oncology/bios.aspx

For more information on types of cancer treated at Children’s:
www.childrensmemorial.org/depts/cancer/about_cancer4.aspx

For information on life after treatment and how Children’s can help: www.childrensmemorial.org/depts/cancer/2003ar.aspx

For information on how Children’s helps families of patients:
https://secure.childrensmemorial.org/parents/home.aspx


Link to calendar:
https://secure.childrensmemorial.org/calendar.aspx