Recognizing Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Every day in the United States, approximately 43 children are diagnosed with cancer. In 2018 alone, Valley Children’s oncology department newly diagnosed 161 children with cancer and cared for a total of 1,256 children with cancer. The diagnosis is only the first step in a long and harrowing journey that often lasts a lifetime; as treatments for childhood cancer leave lasting impacts on a child’s health and emotional well-being as they grow into adulthood.

With innovative treatments, a multidisciplinary team of specialists and access to hundreds of clinical trials, Valley Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders team works to provide the best care to every child who is diagnosed with cancer.
 

Treatment Beyond Medication

When a child has been diagnosed with cancer, they have an entire team of specialists standing behind them ready to help fight to the finish line. This team is made up of more than physicians and nurses. The Valley Children’s oncology team is compiled of everyone from social workers to help children and families cope with the cancer journey, to nurse navigators who help families navigate everything from diagnosis to follow-up care and link families to primary providers, additional referrals and community resources.

 

Devoted to Childhood Cancer Research

Our Cancer and Blood Disorders Center has consistently been in the top 5-8% worldwide in patient enrollments to the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. As an active member of COG and a participant of many industry-sponsored clinical trials, Valley Children’s offers our patients access to more than 90 open clinical trials to treat the most common to some of the rarest pediatric cancers.

 

Empowerment After Treatment

Even after treatment, childhood cancer patients remain active with Valley Children’s through The Fresno Truck Center Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program. This program works with survivors to connect them with pediatric oncologists, nurses, social workers and more to ensure they are aware of late side effects of their treatment, what practices they need to implement to take care of their health and, as an overall goal, to empower them to live their best adult lives.