May is National Cancer Research Month

The month of May is national cancer research month. So KidZ Fighting Cancer would like to share some new research in oncology which is simply the study of cancer. Some of the most common types of cancer are Leukemia, Thyroid cancer, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Kidney Cancer. Thankfully, researchers have been able to learn more about these cancers so they can be treated. Now we can look at a few examples of common cancers and new research.  

Did you know?

According to the American Cancer Society one out of three people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life. That’s why it's so important that we keep researching.

Leukemia  

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects blood and bone marrow. Imagine your blood is like a very busy city with all sorts of important jobs. Leukemia is like a villain who messes things up in this city. It makes some of the building blocks for healthy blood cells (like firefighters and police) misbehave and turn into troublemakers. These troublemaker cells crowd out the good ones, making it hard for your body to fight infection and stay healthy . Around May of 2024  people have learned that some special cells of leukemia live on a gene called (PI3KR5). There is a  medicine that targets the gene, and this was tested and is proven to help animals live longer.

Thyroid Cancer 

Thyroid cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the thyroid which is a super cool “butterfly-shaped” gland in the front of your neck. The thyroid impacts hormones, (cells important for growth) blood pressure, heart rate and more. Thyroid cancer is not commonly found in children. As of May 2024, The National Cancer Institute has been finding new research results for thyroid cancer and ways to treat and prevent it. To treat this cancer, a specialist surgeon will remove part or all of the thyroid gland. After the surgery patients may need to take healthy thyroid medicine to replace the hormones made by the thyroid to make you healthy. Later, doctors may recommend a super radioactive scan and therapy to make sure any and all bad cancer cells are eliminated. 

Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that develops when cells in the kidney grow in an odd way. Because your body isn’t working like it usually is, it can make you feel sick. But there is hope! Recently, in march 2024 special researchers from the National Cancer Institute, have found a kind of medicine to help people feel better. They are known as Opdivo and Yervoy, (pretty cool names right?) they are immunotherapies which means they support your body against sickness. These medicines are super helpers that make your body win against cancer! Thanks to new research in super helpers like Opdivo and Yervoy we are able to better understand cancer, and be able to defeat it.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (or NHL) is a cancer that makes white blood cells called lymphocytes get confused and start multiplying way too much. It's like they're having a giant party and don't know how to stop! This causes there to be more white blood cells than the body needs which forms a bad lump called tumor. New research to stop this terrible disease is CAR T-cell therapy. Scientists take some of the good soldier cells (T-cells) and give them a special tool called a CAR. This CAR is like a super power that helps the T-cells recognize and target the bad soldier cells causing trouble. With CAR, the T-cells become like superheroes who can find and attack the tumor, shrinking it down and making things work better in the body again!

Credits: Nemours Kids Health, American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Science daily