Childhood Brain Cancer Awareness Day
Thursday, September 26 is the inaugural Childhood Brain Cancer Awareness Day
Childhood Brain Cancer Awareness Day coincides with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and aims to increase community awareness of all childhood brain cancers and bring together key childhood and brain cancer groups, non-government organisations and charities to work cohesively to increase research funding and improve outcomes for childhood brain cancer.
The inaugural Childhood Brain Cancer Awareness Day will have a focus on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), with a different childhood brain cancer to be selected as a focus for each subsequent year.
DIPG is a 100% fatal brain stem cancer that mostly affects young children who are, on average, given just nine months to live once diagnosed and is the most aggressive of all childhood cancers.
The Minister for Health, Greg Hunt will formally announce the first annual Childhood Brain Cancer Awareness Day at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) on Thursday. With Liz and other non-government childhood cancer organisations and charities in attendance.
Mr Hunt said the Childhood Brain Cancer Awareness Day would highlight DIPG.
“Almost all children diagnosed have a short history of symptoms, experience rapid tumour progression and do not survive beyond one to two years of diagnosis,” he said.
“By placing a focus on childhood cancers including DIPG, it will assist in bringing together key childhood and brain cancer groups and foundations to work cohesively to increase research funding and improve outcomes.”
The Government has announced it will provide $5 million from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) for childhood brain cancer clinical trials.
20 kids are diagnosed with this incurable form of brain cancer each year. Medical research is the only way to help end this cruel disease. You can help by donating today.
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