Every school day 46 children are diagnosed with cancer and every 16 hours a child with neuroblastoma dies.

Ishan was just 18 months when a low grade fever turned into every parent's worst nightmare with the words "your child has cancer". He died just six months later from a rare pediatric cancer called neuroblastoma. Ishan never had a chance to start Kindergarten or learn how to ride a bike without training wheels. And, sadly, he's not alone. Neuroblastoma generally strikes kids under the age of 5. Many of these kids will die, yet very few people are aware of this horrible disease. As a result there is very little funding available for pediatric cancers like neuroblastoma.

• Roughly 650 children are diagnosed with this horrible disease each year.
  
• Most children diagnosed stage IV when there is little hope. At this point, these kids have a less than 30 percent chance of surviving for three years.
  
• Neuroblastoma accounts for 15% of all pediatric cancer deaths.
  
• Cancer remains the number one disease killer of America's children.
  

What is Neuroblastoma?
Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer of the sympathetic nervous system—a nerve network that carries messages from the brain throughout the body. Each year there are about 700 new cases in the United States. It is usually found in young children, and is the most common cancer among infants. It is rarely found in children over the age of ten. These solid tumors—which take the form of a lump or mass—may begin in nerve tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, or, most commonly, in the adrenal gland. They may also spread to other areas of the body, including bone and bone marrow. The cause of neuroblastoma is unknown, but most physicians believe that it is an accidental growth that occurs during normal development of the sympathetic nervous system. Treatment for neuroblastoma differs depending on many factors, particularly the stage of the disease and the age of the patient. Neuroblastomas that have recurred, or come back, may require different types of medicine. To learn more about Neuroblastoma treatments and reseach please click here to visit Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center information page.