Newsletter Signup x
Treat children as children – our campaign to bring to your attention the serious differences between cancer in children and cancer in adults.
Children’s cancers are very different from adult cancers. They occur in different parts of the body, they’re different at a molecular level and they respond differently to treatment.
The impact of treatment and the long term side effects experienced by survivors of childhood cancer are also very different. Specialised childhood cancer research is vital to improving survival rates and the quality of survival. Therefore we need more treatment options for cancer in children. We urgently need kinder and safer treatments, specifically tailored to treat children without damaging their growing bodies.
When dealing with cancer, a child with cancer may have to grow up more quickly and miss out on their childhood as they face the realities of having cancer. The whole process of dealing with a cancer diagnosis can seem utterly terrifying and incredibly isolating. During cancer treatment, it’s important that children hold onto their childhood – we must continue to treat children as a children as much as possible throughout their whole cancer journey.
Felix was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) when he was just 10 years old.
Felix is now 15 and he tells us what being a child with cancer was like for him. He tells us what he missed during those years of treatment and what helped to get him through.
Share Felix’s video on your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages and help raise more awareness of the serious differences between cancer in children and cancer in adults and the importance of treating children as children.
In May 2021 we asked childhood cancer survivors and parents of childhood cancer survivors to fill in a survey about their experience of cancer. This research has given us really useful insights into the impact of cancer on a child’s lifestyle and experience growing up. Thank you to everyone who took part.
Our childhood years are so crucial to our development in establishing relationships, making lifetime bonds with friends and laying the foundations of education leading to future careers. For many children, a cancer diagnosis severely impacts these key developments.
That’s why it’s so important to shine the light on childhood cancer experiences. Here are the results from our survey:
Nick Goulden, Trustee at Children with Cancer UK, said:
We know the difference that more personalised, more effective treatments make to a patient’s life. These kinder, less toxic childhood cancer treatments not only increase survival rates but mean that they suffer fewer debilitating side effects – helping to ensure that more children can live their childhood and future lives as they should.
We are continuing to fund research into different treatments so that ultimately more children can live their childhood at home with their family, playing with friends and learning in the classroom, rather than spending time in and out of hospital and suffering from the side effects of treatment.
About Children with Cancer UK’s Treat Children as Children polling:
Survey undertaken by OnePoll between 26th May to 15th June 2021. 114 UK adults who were diagnosed with cancer aged 0-24 and 227 UK parents/guardians of a child who was diagnosed with cancer aged 0-24 were polled.
Louis was just 19 months old when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in September 2009.
Louis is now 13 years old and in his own words he tells us his childhood cancer journey, the things he would have changed if he could, new cancer terms he had to learn and why children should be treated as children with specialised childhood cancer research.
Share Louis’ video on your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages and help raise more awareness of the serious differences between cancer in children and cancer in adults and the importance of treating children as children.
Exploring differences in adult and childhood cancers
The type of cancer, how far it spreads, and how it is treated is often different in children than in adults. Dr David Clynes explains some of these differences and then explains how his research fits into this.
Dr David Clynes explains
Why do children’s cancers need their own research?
"Children’s cancers are a product of their growth and development and that makes them different to adult cancers, because adult cancers are a product of getting older."
Listen to Professor Walker's podcast.
The mini MRI Scanner that helps children understand their treatment
This new Intraoperative MRI Scanner not only has the potential to improve the results of surgery, but also to reduce the number of times a child has to have surgery.
Find out moreYou’re helping us to provide fun outings for children with cancer and their families. For the moment these are virtual events and parties, but we’re looking forward to having some ‘actual’ outings in the not too distant future.
We celebrated Harry Potter’s birthday on 31 July 2020 by hosting a virtual party for 50 children impacted by cancer. ‘Harry Potter’ was there and the entertainment included dancing, magic and a Harry Potter quiz.
Harry Potter’s birthday party
On Mother’s Day, we held a very special Baking party. We were joined by 50 families affected by childhood cancer to create some yummy treats! Each family received a baking kit to create chocolate shortbread biscuits.
Virtual baking party
40 families joined the Zoom party to play party games and fun scientific experiments. Slime making and helicopter making! The children received a home lab kit with everything needed to take part.
Super Science Slimy Party