The Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Recognizes Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Harness The Power of C -- Connect Against Childhood Cancer with an Advocacy Toolkit

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia kicks off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with a specialized toolkit to harness The Power of C -- Connecting Against Childhood Cancer.

The Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia invites families whose lives have been touched by childhood cancer to advocate, fundraise and share your personal story to raise awareness of pediatric cancer and support research efforts at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and beyond.  This advocacy toolkit, available at cancer.chop.edu/cancerawareness, was developed as a way to partner with our Cancer Center patient-families and the larger community to make a difference in the fight against childhood cancer.

"In 2010, close to 11,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer, and 1,300 will die of the disease.  We need to develop better treatments to cure kids of their cancer, and minimize the long-term side effects of these powerful drugs," said John Maris, M.D., director of the Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month brings these issues to the forefront, and I invite everyone to join the cause to fight against childhood cancer by partnering with the Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia."

As one of the largest pediatric cancer centers in the country, the Cancer Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers the most cutting-edge treatments available for kids with cancer, many of which have been pioneered by CHOP physician-scientists.  One example: Physician-scientist Stephan Grupp, M.D. identified a drug called sirolamus to prevent re-lapse and graph vs. host disease for children with leukemia who undergo a blood and marrow transplant (BMT).  This clinical trial was piloted at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is now part of a national study, giving new hope to children with a particularly grim prognosis.  This is just one of many discoveries in the research lab that has been effectively translated to help patients at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and across the country.

Join Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in recognizing Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  Throughout September, Children's Hospital will sponsor events and offer an advocacy toolkit with the goal of raising awareness and funds so the Cancer Center can continue to develop new and better treatments for kids with cancer.

Harness the Power of C.  Connect Against Childhood Cancer.  Join the Cause.  Make a difference.  cancer.chop.edu/cancerawareness

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.

SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia