Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Cancer cells have the ability to split rapidly and abnormally, and grow outside their normal boundaries and invade sticking together body parts and spread to other parts. There are 12 types of children's cancers. Leukemia and brain cancers are among the most common childhood cancers.
The cause of childhood cancer is still unknown, and the International Childhood Cancer Day is a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, as well as survivors and their families.
The International Childhood Cancer Day aims to increase appreciation and deeper understanding of issues and challenges related to childhood cancer which impact children or adolescents with cancer and survivors and their families, as well as society as a whole. It also spotlights the need for access to better treatment and care for all children with cancer, everywhere.
Key Facts:
The most common cancers of children are:
- Leukemia.
- Brain and nervous system cancer.
- Kidney cancer (Wilms tumor).
- Lymphoma, the non-Hodgkin.
- Osteosarcoma.
- Retinoblastoma.
- Connective tissue cancer.
- Adrenal gland cancer.
- Hepatoblastoma (liver cancer) and malignant hepatoma.
Statistics:
- Globally: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in a report it issued in 2016, indicated that the global occurrence of childhood cancer might be significantly higher than previously thought. The report from 2001-2010, which studied more than 1000 records in 68 countries, indicates that approximately 300,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed in children and adolescents under the age of 19 years. It indicates that there are around 80,000 cancer-caused deaths annually worldwide.
- Locally: Childhood cancer represents 6.1% of cancer diseases in the Kingdom, and the most common types of cancer among Saudi children of both sexes are:
- Leukemia occupies the first place, 278 cases, by 38.8%
- Brain and nervous system cancer, 97 cases, by 13.5%.
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 47 cases, by 6.6%.
- Kidney cancer, 44 cases, by 6.1%
- Bone cancer, 41 cases, 5.7%.
- Connective tissue cancer, 29 cases, by 4.1%.
- Eye cancer, 25 cases, by 3.5%.
- Adrenal gland cancer, 21 cases, 2.9%.
- Thyroid cancer, 10 cases, by 1.4%.
Objectives of the International Childhood Cancer Day:
- Raising awareness level about children cancer.
- Expressing support for children and adolescents with cancer, survivors and their families.
- Increasing appreciation and deeper understanding of issues and challenges related to childhood cancer.
- Improving access to treatment of cancer and medical care.
- Increasing availability and access to essential cancer drugs free of charge or at affordable prices, including pain relievers.
Official Date:
Globally: February 15th, 2017
Locally: Jumada al-Oola 18th, 1438H
Theme of the International Childhood Cancer Day
Targeted Groups:
- All segments of society.
- Children with cancer and their families.
- Children survived cancer.
- All workers in the health field.
- Schools, institutes and universities.
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