September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

• Childhood cancers account for 3-4% of all cancers. Unlike adult cancers, the causes of most childhood cancers are as yet unknown
• Every year there are 50,000 new cases of childhood cancer in India out of 250,000 new cases worldwide
• 70-95%  childhood cancers are curable because of better response to treatment and protocols
• It is estimated that nearly 70 – 80% children die of cancer, in our country, due largely to lack of awareness, late diagnosis and detection,  the exorbitant cost of treatment, inadequate cancer treatment facilities and insufficient supportive care

In 2004, Cankids was set up under the umbrella of Indian Cancer Society, Delhi Branch, as their childhood cancer unit. The vision was to provide the entire spectrum of assistance to children with cancer and their families, anywhere in India, to enable best standards of treatment, care and support, and to ensure no child suffered for want of treatment for lack of finance.

Today, CanKids...KidsCan is a national Society.  Eight years from inception, we have 18 core support services and are working in 29 pediatric cancer units across the country, with regional offices in Delhi (HQ), Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai and a presence in Madurai, Trivandrum, Ahmadabad, Nagpur, Lucknow, Rohtak, Patna and Cuttack. We have two Home Away from Homes - in Delhi and Trivandrum; we have just inaugurated the country's first ever Pediatric Palliative Care Daycare and Transition Home in Delhi; and are shortly opening the country's first ever special school for children with cancer, in a PPP with the Bombay Municipal Corporation, in Mumbai. We have launched Awareness, Advocacy and Patient Support projects as focused interventions on specific childhood cancers like Retinoblastoma, Wilms Tumor and Osteosarcoma as well as for Pediatric Stem Cell Transplants and Pediatric Palliative Care, with the support, guidance and involvement of our medical advisory from India and overseas.

We are a grass-root  level field organization of over 175 people ( volunteers and employees), working in and together with the Pediatric Cancer Units  of Cancer Hospitals, Pediatrics Departments of Medical Colleges, RCCs and Trust or Private Hospitals, as  Patient Navigators & Advocates. We identify and bridge the gaps – to ensure best treatment, care and support.  

The 29 cancer centers where we have our Cankids units serve 14000 new cancer cases each year. We have interacted with over 12000 families of children with cancer through our Chattai & Ward clinics at children’s oncology OPDs & our Ward Programs. 6246 families are registered in our YANA -  YOU ARE NOT ALONE program.  Over 5500 children with cancer have received medical financial assistance for their treatment  - Adopt a child, Medical Assistance Fund, Emergency Fund, Palliative Care Fund, Facilitation. IN 2011-12 alone we spent Rs 1.90 crores on our Medical & Hospital Program.  We raise funds from private individuals, corporates, associations, foundations and charitable trusts. We are committed to ensuring that 80% of our total expenses are on our Core Activity areas Our project - CHANGE FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER in India, integrates into the goals of the World Cancer Declaration (WCD) 2011 and aims