This year nearly 8,000 American children will be diagnosed as having cancer. Such a diagnosis affects not only the young patient but also his or her entire family.
Parents experience tremendous anguish knowing that their child is ailing or in pain.
Brothers and sisters often share in that heartache, as well as in fears of the unknown. As an expression of our concern for young cancer patients and their families, we set aside this month to reaffirm our support of continuing research and education. Thanks to the many advances that have been made in cancer research, the majority of children who are diagnosed with cancer today will be alive and healthy 5 years from now. Indeed, the number of deaths from childhood cancers continues to drop as improved diagnostic and prognostic techniques, along with important breakthroughs in treatment, give hope to young people with leukemia, Wilm's tumor, Hodgkin's disease, and other cancers. Such progress is testimony to the vitality of American science and to the contributions of the brave young patients who participate in clinical studies of new anti-cancer treatments.