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Childhood Cancer. Operation Gold Rush

What Is Cancer?

Every cell in our bodies is tightly regulated with respect to growth, interaction with other cells, and even its life span. Cancer occurs when a type of cell has lost these normal control mechanisms and grows in a way that the body can no longer regulate. Different kinds of cancer have different signs, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes, depending on the type of cell involved and the degree of uncontrolled cell growth.

All kinds of cancer, including childhood cancer, have a common disease process — cells grow out of control, develop abnormal sizes and shapes, ignore their typical boundaries inside the body, destroy their neighbor cells, and can ultimately spread (or metastasize) to other organs and tissues. As cancer cells grow, they demand more and more of the body's nutrition. Cancer takes a child's strength, destroys organs and bones, and weakens the body's defenses against other illnesses.

• Each school day 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

• One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20

• Cancer is the #1 killer of American Children- more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma, & AIDS combined.

• Currently there are between 30-40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment in the U.S.A.

• As a nation, each year we spend over 14 billion on the space program but only 35 million on childhood cancer research.

• Right now, this second, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through another Day!

Cancer is a horrible disease that we need to find a cure for; soon. There are too many children and their families suffereing. This is our future. Please take part in joining our “Operation Gold Rush”.

www.colesfoundation.com

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