Fight against childhood cancer is advancing
Published on Thursday, September 23, 2021
By: Dr. Anderson Collier
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Go Gold for Childhood Cancer celebrate the advances made against childhood cancer.
Go Gold for anyone you know who is currently or has fought childhood cancer. Go Gold for those who will unfortunately hear those words that everyone dreads: “Your child has cancer.”
Go Gold raises awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. Because of research into childhood cancer, survival rates are now over 80 percent. Despite that, childhood cancer is still the leading cause of disease related death in children 1 year old to 19 years old.
Childhood cancer research happens does not only happen in large hospitals or research focused hospitals. Childhood cancer research happens at the Children’s of Mississippi Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCCBD).
We currently have nearly 50 clinical trials that are available for children with cancer at the CCCBD. These trials offer the latest and newest medications and treatments to children with cancer here in Mississippi. These trials join with other hospitals and institutions across the world in better biologic characterization of childhood cancers to improve our understanding of what causes cancer, how it grows, and how can we more effectively treat it.
Our faculty also continue to pursue research activities that include neurocognitive effects following cancer treatment, the influence of health disparities on childhood cancer in Mississippi, novel medications for sarcomas, and the effects of COVID if any on childhood cancer.
In addition to those efforts, thanks to a generous donation by Pat and Jim Coggin, we are planning for a complete remodel of the clinic. This new clinic will change the flow of patients through the clinic, relocate and transform the waiting area into an interactive space, increase our exam rooms from eight to at least 12, nearly double the size of the infusion room, create a quiet space in the infusion room for those who desire more quiet and less activity during their infusions, increase the provider work space to enhance collaboration and education, and provide new administrative and research work spaces.
Our architects are working with us to make the best use of the space in order for us to have a world-class clinic to match the world class care that is already provided. We are currently soliciting donations for this project that will be transformative for children with cancer in Mississippi for decades to come.