SEPTEMBER is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Londoners are being called on to help more children and young people survive cancer.
With around 530 new cases in under 25s in London every year,* people are being urged to support the life-saving work of Cancer Research UK for Children and Young People.
They can help raise vital funds by donating or picking up a gold ribbon badge – the symbol of childhood cancer awareness – available from the charity’s shops.
Cancer is different in children and young people – from the types of cancer that affect this age group, to the long-term effects of treatment such as hearing loss and infertility. So, it needs a different and dedicated approach that Cancer Research UK is helping to drive forward.
The charity’s advances and breakthroughs have helped to more than double children’s cancer survival in the UK since the 1970s and, today, around 8 in 10 will survive for at least 10 years.**
But despite huge progress, cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease in children and young people over the age of one*** and children’s survival for some types of cancer hasn’t improved much since the 1970s.
At the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre, a virtual hub brings together researchers from University College London, King’s College London, Barts Cancer Institute and the Francis Crick Institute in a world-class network for cancer discovery science.
A cross-cutting theme for the centre’s research is investigating children’s and young people’s cancers, aiming to improve survival, quality of life and minimise the side effects of treatment.
And, across the UK, around 18,000 children and young people have taken part in Cancer Research UK clinical trials since 2002.
The charity’s spokesperson for London, Lynn Daly, said: “Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are beating cancer, step by step, day by day. More than 9 in 10 children and young people who are prescribed cancer drugs in the UK receive at least one drug that Cancer Research UK has helped to develop.****
“And our scientists are unlocking discoveries about these cancers and translating them into new and better ways to diagnose and treat them.
“But too many young lives are still lost to this devastating disease. So, we hope people will show their support this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and help ensure more children and young people live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.”
Pick up a gold ribbon badge in Cancer Research UK shops or donate online at cruk.org/childrenandyoungpeople
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