Your Child Has Cancer By Christine Farwell

A cancer journey begins with the words, “Your child has cancer.” After that, there is only one thing a parent wants to hear. Concerns flood into a parent’s mind at lightning speed. What are our options? What quality of life will my child have during treatment? What will they be like after treatment? Do we have enough insurance to make sure my child can receive treatment? And as the ground crumbles beneath them, the questions just explode. Despite the incredible progress in research advancements, pediatric cancer still claims the lives of more children than any other disease. It robs children of their innocent joy, of their future, of their family time. Pediatric cancer is a journey no family ever wants to take. Childhood cancer touches every single aspect of a family’s life. Parents and children’s lives are ‘on hold’ waiting, hoping, searching for the cure. While this reality seems devastating, there is hope and a way to fight this disease. Statistics indicate that mortality from childhood cancer is declining. The cancer death rate has dropped more dramatically for children than for any other age group. This progress can be attributed solely to research. Today the overall survival rate Your Child Has Cancer

Today the overall survival rate for some types of childhood cancers is approaching 90% thanks to leading-edge research.

for some types of childhood cancers is approaching 90 percent thanks to leading-edge research. However, the work is not nearly finished. There are types of pediatric cancer that are still 100 percent fatal. Currently, 1 in 300 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20. The average age of diagnosis is six years old. And the incidence of this disease among children in the United States is rising almost 1 percent per year. We can offer hope with research. Children should not only survive, but they should thrive without the likelihood of recurrence or secondary disease.

“We are in a very exciting time for pediatric cancer research. Cancer research as a whole has significantly progressed and led to many novel discoveries such as targeted drugs and immuno

therapy,” states Dr. Lingling Chen, John’s Hopkins University School of Medicine. Public funding for pediatric cancers is sorely lacking. Children make up 10 percent of the cancer population. Yet, only 3.8 percent of public cancer research funds are dedicated to pediatric cancer research. Children face as many different types of cancer as adults, and there are types of cancer that only occur in children. Adult treatment protocols do not simply scale down to the pediatric population. Children have unique physiologies, and they have to live with the consequences or side effects of the treatments a lot longer than an adult. It is up to the private sector to fill this research funding gap so that advancements can be made for children facing cancer. Organizations like the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) have recognized this pressing need and have dedicated themselves to supporting the research efforts specific to cancers affecting children ages 0-19 years. A child diagnosed at six years old could have on average 71 years to live with the aftermath of their treatment. Some children do well and experience few to no side effects of their cancer diagnosis. More commonly, childhood cancer survivors face a diminished quality of life and significantly elevat

ed health risks. They experience a lifetime of physical limitations, secondary cancer, chronic health conditions, academic delay, cognitive challenges, PTSD, and often financial stress. Childhood cancer survivors are four times more likely to struggle with long term employment in their adult life. The impact of providing adequate treatments and cures is pervasive. Breakthrough research has helped improve cancer survival rates more dramatically for children than for any other age group. However, there are still childhood cancers that have not had the same results – many aggressive cancers continue to devastate families and rob children of their childhoods. There is still much to be done and the momentum is greater than ever.

Dr. Sakamoto, Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University, is optimistic: “The future is bright as we are begin

ning to understand the individualized, genomic approaches to treat cancer including pediatric tumors. It is an exciting time to be doing research.”

The progress up to this point has been excruciatingly slow, especially for pediatric cancer. In the last 30 years, only two drugs have been approved for pediatric use. The reason is simple, pediatric cancer isn’t a profitable business to be in. The task of curing cancer is immense and pressing. Time is running out for some of our children. If a patient fails to respond to the trusted protocol, their odds of survival are significantly less. We need to expand the treatment options. We must seek less toxic treatments leading to an excellent quality of life after cancer and not just survival. The general public has to be the impetus of change in our approach to this problem. The families are in the trenches and the fight for their child’s life has to have already been fought. The research has to have already been completed. We need to invest in that future. We need to make sure they can also hear the words, "But we have

a cure."

“Although children make up 10 percent of our cancer population, they are 100 percent of our future,” says Dr. Alex Huang, Case Western University.

By Christine Farwell Philanthropy Manager, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation

We are all navigating in uncharted waters living with our new reality called COVID-19. These are unprecedented times. New terminology plagues us daily, whether seen on the television, internet, radio, blogs, newspapers, or social media, we are bombarded 24/7! We are social creatures by nature. We communicate, socialize, interact, and engage with our friends and family. Now we are living more isolated and alone thanks to a new term called “Social Distancing.” What is Social Distancing? This is not a new term. Social Distancing has been used as a means of protective sequestration throughout various pandemics. This form of isolation has been used throughout history – Leprosy, Black Plague, Spanish Flu, Ebola, SARS outbreaks – using social distancing is one way to “flatten the curve” - preventing a peak of infections by spreading the virus over a longer timeframe to control the outcomes such as healthcare services, testing, vaccines, and therapies. (“Social distancing,” 2020)

Will wearing a mask protect you from the Covid-19?

When the virus first struck and social distancing was introduced, people rushed to buy masks until none were left. Masks became as hard to find as toilet paper! Though people were urging everyone to stop buying masks and leave them for the health providers, after a few weeks, masks became a "must" for most companies and people going to the store. "If everyone is wearing a mask, regardless of who has the virus, the chain of transmission would be reduced," Hildreth said Friday during the city's daily health briefing. It's become an enforced rule from many companies. This includes SEPTA (a public transportation company) that issued a policy requiring any transit rider to wear a face mask for the protection of its workers and other riders. A man was recently pulled off one of their buses by police because he didn't have a mask and wouldn't leave the bus on his own accord. People are currently doing their best to keep living while avoiding getting sick, and it seems even though a mask isn't full-proof, it is helping.

Social Distancing is intended to stop or slow down the spread of carrying the virus and those not infected. “Social Distancing is an aspect of human behavior particularly important to epidemiology because of its universality; everybody can reduce their contact rates with other people by changing their behaviors, and reduced human contact reduces the transmission of many diseases.”(Reluga, 2010)

What is the cost of social distancing?

The cost is liberty, capital, human capital, social capital, isolation, time, convenience, travel, entertainment, and peace of mind. Beyond the personal price, there is the economic cost social distancing is costing us. But is this the answer? YES! By implementing social distancing, this will delay the exponential growth and spread of COVID-19. It starts

School closures, self-quarantine, cancellation of events, large gatherings, conferences, sports events, meetings, parties, limiting mass transportation, restaurants, bars, gyms, amusement parks, museums, libraries, and large workplaces will lessen our pandemic, infection rates and deaths associated with the virus. We can look to our neighbors: China, Italy, Spain, Germany, and other countries as examples of how vital Social Distancing is and makes a vast difference.

Life is a game. By using game theory for social distancing, maybe we can formulate an answer. Solving a game refers to solving the problem with the best strategy to play and win. We are all players trying to solve for the best strategy and solution. The more efficient social distancing, the more the epidemic cost can be saved per person.

I do not have the answers, but I am practicing social distancing. I have embraced technology using WebEx, Zoom, Facetime, emails, and my smartphone to grow my social capital virtually, lessen my stress, and embrace my new reality.

I encourage you also to welcome your new reality. It starts with you; use personal hygiene, practicing social distancing, and cleaning your environment.

You can use technology, learn something new, teach others, start a new hobby, read, smile, exercise, listen to music, call a friend, play games, watch or stream a show, and have dinner together. Just limit the number to a small group.

By: Vanessa Montañez

Writer/Contributor