February 2nd is recognized annually as Neuroblastoma Awareness Day, which is intended to help spread knowledge and visibility about neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that mostly affects children, among the general public and in the medical field. For this year’s awareness day, Neuroblastoma Australia will be conducting an its online #2little campaign for the week of the 2nd.
About Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that appears in nerve tissue. Children are more frequently affected than adults. The direct cause of neuroblastoma is not known in most cases; in a small number of patients, an inherited mutation ALK gene has been implicated, but this only explains around two percent of cases at the most. Symptoms of neuroblastoma include a lump in the affected area which may be blue in color, bone and joint pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, and fever. Other symptoms vary depending on where the tumor is located; it typically originates in the adrenal glands but can also appear on the spine, neck, abdomen, or chest. Treatment approaches include immunotherapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and stem cell transplant. Outcomes vary considerably; the five year survival rate is 68 percent for patients between age one and fourteen. To learn more about neuroblastoma, click here.
Get Involved on Social Media
Becoming a part of the campaign is easy. Follow these steps to get started:
- Post a photo of yourself as a toddler on your social media pages. Patients are an average of just two years old. Share a picture of yourself as a child and don’t forget to use the hashtags #2little and #neuroblastoma.
- Profile picture frame: Add Neuroblastoma Australia’s profile picture frame to your Facebook profile to help spread awareness. Click here to add it.
- Share neuroblastoma facts on social media and with friends and family. Neuroblastoma Australia will begin sharing facts on Facebook starting on the 2nd. Keep tabs on their page here.
So what are you waiting for? Don’t miss out on this opportunity to pitch in to this rare disease community. Click here to learn more about this event.
