Ependymoma is a tumor that appears most often in the brain and sometimes in the spinal cord. It is a type of glioma, meaning it starts in...
What is Ependymoma?
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What Is
What is Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)?
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a type of blood cancer that causes an overproduction of white blood cells. These cells grow abnormally...
What is Ewing Sarcoma?
Ewing Sarcoma Defined Ewing sarcoma is a cancerous bone tumor that affects children, adolescent and young adults—usually developing during...
Social Security Disability Benefits for Children with Cancer
Navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis is difficult on multiple levels including trying to understand how and if your child qualifies for...
What is Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT)?
Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT) is a rare and fast-growing tumor that typically originates in the brain and spinal cord. These...
What is Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)?
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brain tumor found in a part of the brain stem—above the back of the neck and connected to the...
What is Rhabdomyosarcoma?
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a type of soft tissue cancer that most commonly affects children and adolescents. It’s often found in skeletal...
What is Medulloblastoma?
Medulloblastoma is a type of brain cancer that’s most commonly found in children. “Medulloblastoma starts in the cerebellum, which is...
What is a Glioma?
“Glioma” is a general term for a group of tumors that begin in glial cells—the supporting cells of the brain. Gliomas are classified based...
What is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)?
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also called acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL for short, is a type of blood cancer that causes bone marrow...
What Is
What is Charity Navigator?
When you are in the market for a new refrigerator, you ask your neighbors and friends for recommendations, and maybe even consult Consumer Reports to see different ratings. When you want to donate to a charity, how do you decide if the charity will take care of your donation and use your donation to meet its mission? Charity Navigator has been called the Consumer Reports of the nonprofit world. It is the largest charity evaluator in America. Its website attracts more visitors than all other...
What is OSI Connect?
OSI Connect is a free, easy-to-use, invaluable resource for those diagnosed with osteosarcoma Osteosarcoma is a difficult and frightening diagnosis, but you are not alone. You can actually connect with leading sarcoma physician experts for a free consult. Yes, free. Yes, a consult not an email. An actual conversation. Founded by parents who have walked the road you are now on, OSI Connect is a resource they wish they would have had. Diagnosis and relapse are overwhelming. It is impossible to...
What is a Free DIPG Nurse Navigator?
Rally Kid Tyson (Image Above), brain cancer (2016-2020)Tyson was just two and a half years old when he was diagnosed with DIPG You Are Not Alone In Your DIPG / DMG Battle Hearing that your child has cancer is devastating. Hearing that your child has cancer and that it is a DIPG / DMG brain tumor is unfathomable - because in the same sentence you learn there is no known cure for DIPG / DMG. Every time we hear that a kid has received this diagnosis, Rally’s heart breaks. However, for parents who...
What is Big Data and Childhood Cancer Research
After being born and living in Turkey my whole life, I came to the US for college to study biological sciences at the University of Chicago. When the laboratory research internship I found for the summer of my first year was cancelled due to COVID-19, I joined a resume match program of my school’s Career Advancement Office, which matched students with employers based on experience and preferences. It was initially through this program that I matched with the Pediatric Cancer Data Commons...
Discovering the Reality of Childhood Cancer Treatment
On our diagnosis day, we were told that our four-year-old Gus had Ewing Sarcoma. What doctors didn’t know was the particular type or variant he had. Tumor Sequencing Tumor sequencing is vital, as some variants of Ewing’s sarcomas have poorer outcomes, require specific drugs, and prohibit the use of other drugs. The variant determines the treatment plan. Parents need to know the type of cancer their child is fighting- and if the hospital doesn’t know, parents should demand to have the tumor...
What is an Astrocytoma?
An astrocytoma is a brain tumor that begins in astrocytes—a type of glial cell that supports nerve cells in the brain. Astrocytomas can be benign or malignant and typically occur in the brainstem, cerebellum, cerebrum, hypothalamus or optic nerves. Tumors that start in glial cells are called gliomas and are named for the specific kind of glial cell in which they originate: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes or ependymocytes. Astrocytomas are the most common form of gliomas found in...