Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Gold ribbons; Troy High School football game; Dine to Donate
In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September, Beaumont Children’s is going gold to celebrate its patients and families by raising awareness about pediatric cancers through various activities.
Some of the activities include:
- The placement of gold ribbons on more than 250 trees on the campus of Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak beginning Aug. 30, other sites include: Beaumont hospitals in Farmington Hills, Dearborn and Wayne; Beaumont Health and Wellness Center, Royal Oak; and the Wilson Cancer Resource Center, Sterling Heights
- “Gold-out” varsity football game Sept. 21 at Troy High School: Troy Colts vs. Rochester High School Falcons, 7 p.m., 4777 Northfield Parkway, Troy
- Special Facebook/profile photo frame
- Sharing photos at #BEAUMONTGOESGOLD on Facebook, Instagram
- “Dine to Donate,” Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Granite City, 699 West Big Beaver Road, Troy
“Survival rates for pediatric cancers have improved dramatically over the past 50 years,” said Kate Gowans, M.D., chief, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Beaumont Children’s. “Today, innovative treatments such as proton therapy and molecularly targeted therapy give us even more tools to fight and win the battle against childhood cancers, while working to reduce unwanted side effects from treatments. Proton therapy can be especially beneficial for young cancer patients, who are most vulnerable to side effects of traditional radiation therapy.”
Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak is the first hospital in Michigan treating pediatric patients with proton technology.
Facts about pediatric cancers:
- Cancer is the No. 1 cause of death from disease among children.
- One in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20.
- One in every 1,000 18-year-olds in the United States is a survivor of childhood cancer.
- In the past 40 years, survival rates have increased to more than 80 percent for children, adolescents and young adults with cancer.
- Childhood cancer is not one disease. It is made up of more than 12 major types and over 100 subtypes.
- Two-thirds of childhood cancer patients may have long lasting chronic conditions from treatment.
- Childhood cancer research receives just 4 percent of the annual budget from the National Cancer Institute
“Another important role our team serves is caring for pediatric patients long after their cancer therapy is complete, our survivors,” said Dr. Gowans.
The very treatments that saved the lives of children with cancer can cause long-term health issues. These are called “late effects.” The effects of these treatments can include cardiac or respiratory issues; vision or hearing problems; delayed growth and development; and possibly learning disabilities.
Beaumont Children’s has a Pediatric Long-Term Follow-up Clinic that follows childhood cancer survivors into adolescence and adulthood. The goal: support and assist patients long after they complete their treatment. The clinic opened in 2008 to study and treat possible delayed effects of being a pediatric cancer survivor and to help patients and their families with medical issues as well as concerns related to educational access, insurance and employability. The multidisciplinary team includes a pediatric oncologist, pediatric oncology nurse navigator, pediatric social worker, child psychologist and clinical dietitian.
Lisa Muma, RN, coordinator, Pediatric Long-Term Follow-up Clinic, said, “We’ve made great strides, yet the fight against childhood cancers is far from over. Through the placement of gold ribbons and other events, we’re working to raise much-needed awareness and to honor our brave patients and their families.”
Beaumont Children’s offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for infants, children, teens and young adults with nearly every type of childhood cancer or blood disorder.
Gifts from two local families provide family-centered facilities and services for children, adolescents and young adults with cancer and blood disorders at Beaumont Children’s in Royal Oak. The new facilities and services are located on the Proton Therapy Center’s second floor.
Julie and Bob Skandalaris of Clarkston supported the establishment of an expansive clinic named the Skandalaris Family Center For Children with Cancer & Blood Disorders. It tripled the size of Beaumont’s former pediatric hematology/oncology outpatient clinic, offering a spacious and relaxing setting with seven exam rooms, a shared infusion area and four private infusion rooms for patients. The center also provides easy access for local children and those from other states traveling to Beaumont for proton therapy treatment.
Quicken Loans/Rock Ventures founder and chairman Dan Gilbert and Jennifer Gilbert supported the creation of the Gilbert Family Adolescent & Young Adult Program. This multidisciplinary program provides medical specialists, psychosocial services, financial counseling, academic and mentor support for adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 24. Patients in this age range with cancer, blood disorders or other tumor-related conditions may have special needs that may not be met solely through pediatric or adult cancer care. The Gilbert gift helps bridge those gaps with specialized programs housed in the Skandalaris Center.