The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Kicks Off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month With 30 Days, 1 Cause, a New Campaign to Advocate for Pediatric Cancer Research Funding

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia kicks off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with a new campaign called 30 Days, 1 Cause to bring the issue of funding for pediatric cancer research to the forefront.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110901/DC61398)

Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in children.  Although significant progress has been made in the last 50 years, 20 percent of children still die from cancer.  In addition, many childhood cancer survivors face life-long side effects impacting their heart, growth and fertility. Children diagnosed with cancer today are still treated with drugs developed 30 years ago which may cure their cancer but harm developing, healthy cells.

To develop new treatments, pediatric cancer research must be better funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private funding even in light of these challenging economic times.  30 Days, 1 Cause patient Shayla knows this too well.  Treated at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for relapsed neuroblastoma, Shayla must rely on new experimental treatments to keep neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer of the nervous system, in check as there is currently no cure.

The 30 Days, 1 Cause campaign challenges individuals to help Shayla and hundreds of other children impacted by cancer to Make It Count:

• Sign up for the Four Seasons Philadelphia Parkway Run/Walk benefitting pediatric cancer research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Spread the word by using tools provided in the Childhood Cancer Advocacy Toolkit created by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• "Like" the Cancer Center's Facebook Page
• Donate to the Cancer Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Future funding will enable physician-scientists to find more targeted, less harmful treatments that cure childhood cancers.   This September, we have 30 days to Make It Count.  Join our efforts:  www.30days1cause.org.

About the Cancer Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia cares for more children with cancer than any other general pediatric hospital in the United States. Its large basic and clinical research programs are particularly strong in pediatric neuro-oncology, neuroblastoma, leukemia and lymphoma, and sarcomas. Of all pediatric institutions, Children's Hospital enrolls the most patients in national clinical trials, working in close collaboration with national organizations such as the Children's Oncology Group. Physicians at Children's Hospital have had pioneering roles in developing international standards for diagnosing and treating neuroblastoma, and in developing programs for survivors of childhood cancer.

Media Contact: Rachel Salis-Silverman
267-426-6063
[email protected]

SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

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