hand in hand,small hand in big handThe Arizona Cancer Registry and the Office of Cancer Prevention and Control are teaming up to compile the first community report on childhood cancer data and resources in the state. This report will share state and national-level data and seek to offer a list of resources for families battling a childhood cancer diagnosis.

This report will be the first addendum to the Arizona Cancer Control Plan 2014-2018. While we are still working on compiling the report,

the data shows that in 2013, 299 children were diagnosed with cancer in Arizona , and Leukemia was the most commonly diagnosed childhood cancer with 29.1 percent of all cases. While the data fluctuates from year to year, children belonging to the 0 to 4-year-old and 15 to 19-year-old age groups had the highest number of diagnosed cases consistently from 2004-2013.

Cancer in children is often different from cancer in adults. According to the American Cancer Society, childhood cancers are often the result of DNA changes in cells that take place very early in life, sometimes even before birth. Unlike many cancers in adults, childhood cancers are not strongly linked to lifestyle or environmental risk factors.

While we still have a lot to learn about childhood cancer, there are many organizations doing incredible things to raise awareness to childhood cancer and bring support to families and children, including but not limited to:

Visit one of the webpages above to learn more about how to support these heroes and their families in our communities.