About
About Beat Cancer Today
Raising awareness of childhood cancer
Formed by Iowa families whose children have been diagnosed with childhood cancer, Beat Cancer Today’s mission is to create awareness of childhood cancers and to provide financial support for childhood cancer research, scholarships, and for patient and family support programs. Beat Cancer Today raises funds through apparel sales and special events and distributes those funds to Childrenâs Cancer Connection, Childrenâs Oncology Group, and University of Iowa Dance Marathon.
Our mission
Create Awareness
Cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease in children, more than the next four childhood diseases combined.
Support Research
We support the research of Children’s Oncology Group Foundation through funds raised.Â
Support Patients and Families
Funds raised from apparel sales and events get distributed to Children’s Cancer Connection and University of Iowa Dance Marathon to support patients and families.
We support
The need
#1 Cause of Death by disease in children
Cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease in children, more than the next four childhood diseases combined. Each year, the parents of approximately 15,700 kids will hear the words âyour child has cancer.â Across all ages, ethnic groups and socio-economics, this disease remains the number one cause of death by disease in children. Despite major advances â from an overall survival rate of 10 percent just fifty years ago to nearly 90 percent today, for many rare cancers, the survival rate is much lower. Furthermore, the number of diagnosed cases annually has not declined in nearly 20 years.
The facts
- Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer.
- 12% of children diagnosed with cancer do not survive.
- Childrenâs cancer affects all ethnic, gender and socio-economic groups.
- The average age of children diagnosed is six.
- More than 40,000 children undergo treatment for cancer each year.
- 60% of children who survive cancer suffer late-effects, such as infertility, heart failure and secondary cancers.
- There are approximately 375,000 adult survivors of childrenâs cancer in the United States. That equates to 1 in 530 adults ages 20-39.
Our team
Beat Cancer Today was founded in Iowa in 2009 by a few parents of children diagnosed with cancer. While some of our founding members are no longer on our committee and not all of our committee members are parents of children with cancer, we have all been touched by childhood cancer in some way and are committed to working hard to raise awareness of it and provide financial support for continued research and support programs.
You can contact any of our committee members by email.
Help make a difference
