Medulloblastoma is a type of brain cancer that’s most commonly found in children. “Medulloblastoma starts in the cerebellum, which is...
Medulloblastoma is a type of brain cancer that’s most commonly found in children. “Medulloblastoma starts in the cerebellum, which is...
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...
“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...
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also called acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL for short, is a type of blood cancer that causes bone marrow...
In simple terms, retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that develops in the immature cells of the retina. Though it is rare—with approximately...
Wilms tumor is a type of kidney cancer that primarily develops in children around the ages of three and four. It’s the most common type of...
Childhood cancer is a big problem. In the U.S. alone, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer every school day. But it doesn’t just affect...
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer of the myeloid cells that normally form white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets....
It’s no secret that adults get cancer. But children get cancer, too -- and it’s more common than you might think. Worldwide, 300,000 kids...
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month — and this year, Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research is celebrating 20 years of...
Some people think of volunteering as a nice gesture. But in the fight against childhood cancer, it’s a lifeline. Volunteers are the...
Ewing Sarcoma Defined Ewing sarcoma is a cancerous bone tumor that affects children, adolescent and young adults—usually developing during...
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a type of soft tissue cancer that most commonly affects children and adolescents. It’s often found in skeletal...
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer in children and adolescents. The tumor often originates in the long bones of the body,...
Breakthroughs happen — in science, in medicine and especially in childhood cancer research — with outside-the-box thinking. At Rally...
Independent Investigator Grants are awarded to principal investigators. Let’s begin by explaining the role of a principal investigator. Principal investigators are typically faculty members (e.g., professor, associate professor, assistant professor) who lead a research lab as an expert in their field. As the lab leader, they are responsible for developing the research agenda, designing research projects, securing funding (often through grants like Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer...
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 the support cells of the brain. This cancer occurs more frequently in children—accounting for 5-10% of all pediatric brain tumors—but it can also affect adults. Common pediatric subtypes include classic ependymoma, a tumor that most commonly appears in the brain, and anaplastic ependymoma, which tends to spread and has a high chance of recurrence. Each type...
Before we get to that, let’s first address the difference between a postdoctoral fellow and a clinical research fellow. It can definitely be confusing. A postdoctoral fellow, also called a postdoc, is someone who completed a Ph.D. program and is now conducting research under the guidance of a principal investigator (mentor) with the goal of one day having their own lab. A clinical research fellow is someone who graduated from medical school and completed their residency. The fellowship...
Lymphoma is a cancer of the body’s lymphatic (lymph) system which is essential to the immune system. The lymphatic system is made up of a type of white blood cells also known as lymphocytes which flow throughout the whole body. These lymphocytes fight infections throughout the body, so when cancerous cells begin to grow they can quickly spread through the entire lymph system. This then makes it difficult for the immune system to work properly. Early symptoms of lymphomas usually begin with a...
Let’s begin by explaining Down syndrome Down syndrome (DS) occurs in about one in every 700 births worldwide. There is a small change during early fetal development that leads to an extra copy of chromosome 21, which is why DS is also known as trisomy 21. People with DS have unique, recognizable physical characteristics and may experience some developmental delays, though these can vary widely from person to person. Children with Down syndrome have a unique relationship with cancer. That extra...
Navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis is difficult on multiple levels including trying to understand how and if your child qualifies for social security disability benefits. This article was written by the Outreach Team at Disability Benefits Help with our Rally Families in mind. Disability Benefits provide information about different disability benefits and the application process. How a Child with Cancer Can Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits Cancer can be a devastating...