Every day, children are diagnosed with cancer, changing every aspect of their lives and their families’ lives forever. 

When others look at cancer, they merely witness its effects on the outside. However, they never truly see what the patient and the family undergo on a daily basis.

As every day passes, over 300,000 children will receive news that will change their lives forever. Somewhere, a family will be told their child has cancer. In the United States alone, 1 in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before they turn 20 years old.

Unlike cancer found in adults, which reflects their previous or current lifestyle choices, cancer in children is a product of cell mutations during growth.

As the body grows, cells multiply rapidly. This leaves room for rare genetic errors during cell replication, which can cause cells to become cancerous and foreign in the body. Even today, it remains unclear to scientists and researchers why this occurs in the body.

In total, there are over 200 distinct types of cancer. As of today, the most common type of childhood cancer is Leukemia at 30%. Leukemia is generally diagnosed between the ages of two and ten. However, many patients have a risk of Leukemia recurring later in life.

The most common treatment for leukemia in children is Chemotherapy, often referred to as “chemo”, which consists of using chemicals to target and kill rapidly multiplying cells. However, chemotherapy has many drawbacks. While chemotherapy kills growing cancer cells, it also kills healthy cells that are trying to fight the cancer in the body. Overall, there are over twenty possible side effects from chemotherapy. The main side effects of chemo consist of: Low blood-cell count, fatigue, vomiting, loss of appetite, organ damage, nerve damage, and loss of hair.

However, this does not remain detrimental only to the child. Families struggle every day in order to pay for each treatment that has a chance at curing their child. With insurance, parents may be required to pay up to $50,000 per treatment cycle. Meanwhile, parents without insurance will easily be required to pay over $200,000 for an entire treatment course.

For many young patients, pediatric cancer isn’t just a diagnosis; it is a battle in the mind. While patients undergo intensive treatment and care, it often results in them changing how they live entirely. Many children are frequently forced to leave the place they call home to survive, and change their diet. They must leave their school, friends, and their old life behind.

Many organizations have researched the harsh mental effects of childhood cancer. The Journal of the American Medical Association discovered that young adults who survived childhood cancer had an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. In addition, it was stated that childhood cancer survivors have a 1.4 times higher risk of suicide.

 Furthermore, family members, specifically parents, are susceptible to the mental tolls of childhood cancer. An additional study in JAMA reviewed nearly 5,000 families that contained a child with cancer. The study found that the probability of one or both parents developing mental disorders and requiring mental health services was significantly higher than in families of children without cancer.

As of today, there is no scientific way to truly prevent cancer from forming in the body. However, there are numerous charity organizations that work to provide support to those suffering from this disease.