Six frequently asked questions about childhood cancer and their answers

What causes childhood cancer? In children, the most common cause of cancer is randomly acquired DNA mutation, meaning childhood cancer is a disease of unfortunate random chance. Unlike adult cancers, childhood cancers aren’t caused by any behavioral or environmental factors (like smoking, overexposure to the sun or being exposed to toxic chemicals). In fact, there are some childhood cancers that develop before the child is …

The Top Five Research Projects We’re Watching This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Childhood cancer is a big problem to solve – there are more than 12 types and more than 100 different subtypes of childhood cancer.

This means when it comes to solving the problem of childhood cancer – it takes all of us. It takes childhood cancer families, researchers, doctors, care teams, and communities to take steps towards better, safer cancer treatments for kids.

And thanks to you, we’re taking those steps. This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re celebrating these five research projects you helped us fund in 2022.

There is no “typical” childhood cancer experience

Every cancer parent remembers the moment they received the lifechanging news: “Your child has cancer.” But after that critical moment, no childhood cancer story is the same. We’ve gathered a list of some of the ways the childhood cancer experience can differ – due to age, race, family support, socioeconomic status and more. There is truly no “typical” childhood cancer experience, but the more we …

Childhood Cancer Facts

Childhood Cancer Facts We’ve gathered answers to your most frequently asked questions about childhood cancer, including statistics, resources and more.How common is childhood cancer? About 1 in 285 children will develop cancer before the age of 20. How many children are diagnosed with cancer each day? 47 children are diagnosed with cancer every day in the U.S. How many types of childhood cancer are there? …

Adan’s Story – Costello Syndrome and Cancer

Four-year-old Adan is a chef in the making – he loves his play kitchen, and one of his favorite activities is taking pretend food and making his parents and older brother Sammy “eat” it. Adan was born with Costello syndrome, a genetic condition caused by a mutation in the HRAS gene which, among other things, means he can only say a few words – but …

CCRF’s new award aims to close gaps in childhood cancer research and outcomes 

Through a new partnership with the Diversity and Health Disparities Committee of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), Children’s Cancer Research Fund will award young investigators the funds to pursue research in childhood cancer disparities, to better understand why children of color experiencing cancer have worse outcomes than white children.

Bryce’s Story – Born a Fighter

Little Bryce was a perfectly healthy 2-year-old until, out of nowhere, he had a seizure on the morning of July 23, 2021. Bryce wasn’t vocally responding that morning which was very unusual. His older sister heard him making a choking sound and got her mom immediately. “It looked like he was drowning – except there was no water nearby,” said Mary, Bryce’s mom. “Bryce wouldn’t …

Cell, gene and immunotherapies (CGI)

Help fund the future of childhood cancer treatment Rider’s cancer experience was not easy – months of harsh chemotherapy kept him exhausted and in the hospital, unsure if he’d have to learn to walk again. But future treatments don’t have to be this way. Cell, gene and immunotherapies (CGI) could make treatments for childhood cancer more effective, easier to tolerate and less likely to cause …

Caring for childhood cancer survivors after treatment

Childhood cancer leaves a lasting impact on children and families. Even after treatment ends, long-term effects of cancer treatment may pose challenges for survivors. Children and young adults, along with their families, may experience significant changes to their lifestyle. Instead of this being a time to go back to life as it used to be, it may be a time of continued adjustment, as you …

Your Impact

Your Impact Your support truly has an impact on children fighting cancer. In fact, for every dollar you donate to Children’s Cancer Research Fund, researchers who receive our grants are able to secure an average of $18 in additional funding from the government and other sources – meaning your donation is an investment that grows over time to improve the lives of kids fighting cancer.Donate …

KK’s Story – A True Trooper

Kathryn (KK to her friends and family) may only be 4 years old, but she is a no-nonsense girl. When it comes to her leukemia treatments, she wants to know exactly what’s happening, and she lets her care teams know she doesn’t need to be coddled.

“She packs her own bag with the toys she wants to play with,” said her mom, Brittany. “When the sweet child life specialists come in and try to do their job by distracting her from treatment, she’ll say, ‘I don’t need you.’ She’s just matter-of-fact about it all.”

Conquering treatment-resistant B-ALL

During high school, Loretta Li worked in the University of Chicago lab of Janet Rowley, who later won the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her groundbreaking work on cancer genetics. “She really was a pioneer,” noted Li, who is now a pediatric oncologist with Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of …

Delving into the data in search of new cures

With more than 10,000 experts at 200-plus institutions around the world, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is a research powerhouse. The consortium runs nearly 100 active clinical trials that aim to improve the care, survivorship and quality of life for children and adolescents with cancer. And all that adds up to an ever-mounting treasure trove of data, ripe for uncovering new insights into the best …

2021 Hard-to-Treat Award Winners

The Hard-To-Tread Award is a grant intended to support projects that enable the prevention, early detection and effective treatment of pediatric cancers that remain hard-to-treat. While treatment success has improved for many cancers, survival rates and therapy options have not changed for some cancers, including brain tumors, sarcomas, and acute myeloid leukemia. Each award is $250,000 over a period of 24 months.   Each year, CCRF …

Punch Pizza’s Impact on Childhood Cancer Research

Punch Pizza has partnered with CCRF since 2009 and contributed over $252,000. These funds directly support some of the most promising minds in childhood cancer research. We want to say thank you and share progress updates on the important work of the researchers who have been supported by the Spirit of Punch Award.   2018: Dr. Branden Moriarity Branden Moriarity, PhD, University of Minnesota Since Punch Pizza funded Dr. Branden Moriarity in 2018, his lab has been working on studying …

Our top 5 research wins of 2021

It’s up to you to make a difference for kids fighting cancer – and in 2021, you delivered. Because of you we funded 40 new research initiatives that will make the childhood cancer experience easier for kids and families.

Here are our top 5 childhood cancer research wins of 2021.

The Katie Hageboeck Children’s Cancer Research Fund Clinic

The Katie Hageboeck Children’s Cancer Research Fund Clinic About Katie’s Clinic The Katie Hageboeck Children’s Cancer Research Fund Clinic is designed to speed the translation of research into treatments for childhood cancer. It is adjacent to Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where one of the core areas is the treatment of the sickest kids with cancer or blood disorders.Healthcare professionals offer the highest quality …