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 What is Neuroblastoma?
What is being done for Liam?
What is the prognosis?
Where is Liam; can I visit or send him something?
How can I contact Kevin & Andrea?
How can I help?
What is
Neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is a children’s cancer diagnosed in
approximately 500 to 1,000 children per year in the USA. Neuroblastoma is a
complex tumor of the sympathetic nervous system, a condition that has been
known for 35 years. Its frequency is second only to brain tumors and it is
seldom seen in children over 14 years old.
The median age for tumor discovery is two years, and it
occurs somewhat more in boys than girls. Like most cancers, its cause is
unknown. It is extremely difficult to diagnose in small children, and once
diagnosed, its progression is often rapid, and very painful. Although
neuroblastoma accounts for only 8% of all cancers, it is responsible for over
15% of the deaths.
The disease is diagnosed from stage I (a localized tumor
confined to one organ or area of organ) to stage IV (solid tumors that have
spread to several organs or parts of the body). Depending on the stage of the
disease, treatment may be limited to tumor removal surgery, or may be as
extensive as tumor removal surgery combined with chemotherapy, radiation, and
bone marrow transplants.
In most cases, children with neuroblastoma are not
diagnosed until Stage IV, when, until recently, long-term survival rates stood
at a dismal 20% or less. However, encouraging developments in treatment and
research are helping children to be diagnosed earlier, and to have increased
chances of survival.
The two most important factors in the prognosis for a
child with neuroblastoma are the stage of the disease and the age of the child
at the time of diagnosis. For all stages, infants less than one year old have a
much better chance for remission and survival than older children. Early
diagnosis is one of our best weapons in the war against neuroblastoma.
Often, neuroblastoma is first discovered when parents or
a physician feel a mass or tumor somewhere in the child's body. Sometimes the
child shows no outward symptoms, and sometimes symptoms resemble those of many
more common childhood illnesses, such as bruising, mild flu symptoms, diarrhea,
and loss of appetite.
Here are some links to more information about Neuroblastoma:
Cancer Index
American
Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
Where is Liam; can I call,
visit or send him something?
Liam's home address is 1044 Ryan's Run, Boothwyn, PA 19061.
Liam loves visits from children especially, but Liam's immune system is
weak so please make sure that everyone is healthy and free from sicknesses,
colds, etc.... There will be many times when Liam's immune system is too
weak for any visitors, so please make sure things are ok before planning a
visit.
Click here
for directions to the hospital
How can
I contact Kevin and Andrea?
Kevin and Andrea are very busy and may be difficult to reach
directly. Kevin can be emailed at
kkane@qaassociates.com. You can also send Liam a message from the
home page of this site.
How can I help?
Hope is the greatest gift you can give. The family needs hope, there is
no other way. Whatever you can do to bring hope to the Kanes will be
treasured immeasurably. Check out the hope section
of this website and contribute something if possible.
Your prayers are very much needed and appreciated. Please keep Liam and
his family in your prayers. Check out the
faith section of this site and contribute something if possible.
Keep informed. Please check back in to the website regularly for news and
information. And be sure to submit your email address on the home page to
receive news updates.
Spread the word. Tell others with a connection to the Kanes about this
site. Get them to add their email address to our notification list, or
add it for them.
We are collecting money for the Liam and his family. You can make a
contribution online with a credit card or send a check to a special fund at
Fleet Bank. Also several fundraising products are available. See
the fundraising section for more
information.
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