Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – Pediatric Retinoblastoma

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The reality of parenthood is that advocacy for your child begins before a diagnosis. This month is important because awareness equals knowledge and knowledge is power. In other words, knowledge allows early detection and early detection gives children the best opportunity for a cure.

If you have followed our firm in past years, you may know how passionate we are about this subject. We have been committed to helping families who are fighting pediatric retinoblastoma, a rare form of pediatric eye cancer. We have written extensively about kids’ eye cancer on our website www.pediatricretinoblastoma.com but in honor of this month, we thought we would highlight some of our blogs to bring awareness for pediatric retinoblastoma.

Detecting Pediatric Retinoblastoma: Different Stages, Signs & Symptoms

“It is a malignant tumor that develops within the eye’s retina, which is the thin nerve tissue of the eye responsible in sensing light and transmitting images to the brain. This disease may occur at any age, but it commonly occurs during the early stages of childhood, usually before a child reaches the age of five. Retinoblastoma may either occur in only one eye or both eyes, but if left untreated, it may metastasize to other parts of the body….”

Classifying Pediatric Retinoblastoma and Identifying Preventive Measures

“In each year, there are an estimated one in every 15,000 to 20,000 infants born with eye cancer in the United States. During the early times, it was not yet clear if pediatric retinoblastoma was caused by environmental factors or hereditary. But in today’s generation, with the advancement in technology, it has been found that this disease can be inherited from one generation to another….”

Deciding on the Right Retinoblastoma Treatment Option

“Pediatric retinoblastoma can lead to loss of vision and even fatality. That’s why it’s critical to treat retinoblastoma quickly and using a treatment option that’s catered to the patient’s condition, age, and underlying considerations. After a retinoblastoma diagnosis, it’s important to work closely with your child’s doctor to determine the best treatment option for your child and family. There are a number of treatment options and combinations available to design a plan that caters to your child’s best possible outcome…”

The Importance of Support for Patients as Well as Their Families

“Every year, roughly 300 children in the U.S. and Canada are diagnosed with pediatric retinoblastoma. The diagnosis and the subsequent scramble to treat the cancer is often traumatic and emotional for the affected little ones and their families.Throughout the process of retinoblastoma treatments and beyond, receiving several different types of support can help create the best prognosis for the child while also helping to uphold the emotional wellbeing of the whole family….”

Breakthroughs in Retinoblastoma Research May Lead to Better Cancer Treatments

“Pediatric retinoblastoma has been central to cancer research because it develops specifically in response to the loss or change of just one gene. When the single gene associated with retinoblastoma – RB1 – is not working as usual, cone cells in the retina can basically multiply without regulation. Now it’s been found that the oncogene MDM2 can also be instrumental in cell proliferation. Our firm is looking forward to the day when all childhood cancers are curable, better yet, non-existent. Until that day, we will remain passionate about helping the families who suffer…”

Our firm is looking forward to the day when all childhood cancers are curable, better yet, non-existent. Until that day, we will remain passionate about helping and supporting the families and children who suffer.