The Childhood Cancer Blog

The Childhood Cancer Blog

Welcome to The Childhood Cancer Blog
from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation!

The number of children diagnosed with cancer each year, around the world, is hard to estimate. The best estimate, from the World Health Organization, is more than 400,000. But, without a comprehensive, global childhood cancer registry, knowing the true numerical impact is difficult. 

But what we do know is that childhood cancer happens everywhere. It happens in the United States and it happens in Germany and it happens in Kenya. There is not one country in the world that is untouched by childhood cancer. A study in 2017 estimated that each year cancer stole 11.5 million years of... Read More

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is kicking off another year of innovative pediatric oncology research with the announcement of 15 new pediatric oncology research grant awards. In 2023, ALSF funded 120 projects, bringing the total projects funded by the Foundation to over 1,500. 

“We want to live in a world where children never die from cancer,” said Dr. Loren Walensky, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Walensky received one of the 13 Innovation Grants awarded in this last grant cycle. The... Read More

  • Philip, who diagnosed at 3 years old with neuroblastoma, looks on as his mom Wendy meets Alex Scott's mom, Liz, for the first time. Both mothers shared the bond of having children who faced ALK-driven neuroblastoma.
    Philip, who diagnosed at 3 years old with neuroblastoma, looks on as his mom Wendy meets Alex Scott's mom, Liz, for the first time. Both mothers shared the bond of having children who faced ALK-driven neuroblastoma.
  • Arden is now 5 years old. Like Philip, she was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma. This year, the results of the trial that saved her life were published in Nature Medicine.
    Arden is now 5 years old. Like Philip, she was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma. This year, the results of the trial that saved her life were published in Nature Medicine.
  • ALSF funded-researcher Dr. Yael Mossé (pictured above) is the lead author on a new paper published in Nature Medicine. The paper shares the results of Dr. Mossé’s clinical trial for lorlatinib, a targeted therapy that showed success treating children with neuroblastoma tumors harboring the ALK mutation.
    ALSF funded-researcher Dr. Yael Mossé (pictured above) is the lead author on a new paper published in Nature Medicine. The paper shares the results of Dr. Mossé’s clinical trial for lorlatinib, a targeted therapy that showed success treating children with neuroblastoma tumors harboring the ALK mutation.

In 2023, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation saw all the hard work, dedication and research pay off in a big way for children with cancer. From high-impact publications to breakthroughs to funding new projects, ALSF continued its commitment to finding safer treatments and cures for all childhood with cancer.

The best part: It is all fueled by lemonade. 

Here are the top childhood cancer research stories from 2023:

1.    Over 100 awarded grants—114 to be exact--funded in 2023

From extending grant funding for researchers close to breakthrough to funding student... Read More

Pages