Welcome to the Pediatric Head and Neck Cancer Foundation:
A Catalyst for Change in Childhood Cancer Care

The crisis

Despite radical advancements in treatment, cancer is the second-most common cause of death among children aged five to 14 years. Additionally, the incidence of head and neck cancers among children has steadily risen over the past two decades. One of every five pediatric cancers occurs in the head and neck region. Adding to the challenges, children often struggle to articulate their symptoms and can be quite resilient. As a result, children are often diagnosed late. By this time, the cancer has spread and is more difficult to treat successfully.

Diagnostics are but one hurdle; while there are many exceptional cancer centers for adult patients, only one or two programs exist in the U.S. for pediatric head and neck cancers. So, most children are treated at adult hospitals by surgeons who lack specialized training in the unique pathophysiology, anatomy, psychosocial aspects, and other needs of pediatric patients.

In summary, children often have much poorer outcomes than their adult counterparts with the same cancers. For instance, the rate of surgical complications in adults following thyroid cancer surgery is less than 3% in the U.S. Compare this figure to the staggering one out of every two children (50%) who develop complications post-thyroid cancer surgery.

Why we exist

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit/charitable organization, the Pediatric Head and Neck Cancer Foundation strives to:

• Support children-centric head and neck cancer research and researchers at the domestic and global levels.
• Aid clinicians through education and the development of clinical care guidelines designed to improve the quality of care and outcomes for pediatric patients.
• Improve access to the highest quality of clinical care and support for affected children and their families.

We are here to help

The Pediatric Head and Neck Cancer Foundation has many wonderful allies and stakeholders. We encourage anyone who has been affected in some way by pediatric head and neck cancers or who is like-minded about improving the lives of children with these tumors to contact us. Our team may be reached at pediatricheadneckcancer@gmail.com and welcomes hearing from fellow advocates, allies, supporters, and others whose lives have been changed by these devastating cancers.