Child cancer drops by one third over the last 10 years
The rate of children dying from cancer in Scotland has dropped by 37 per cent in the last decade according to Cancer Research.
The new figures, released at the start of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, means that around 110 children in Scotland are diagnosed with the disease each year when 10 years ago it was over 150.
The steepest decline is in leukaemia, the most commonly diagnosed children’s cancer, where there has been a drop from around 10 deaths each year to around five.
Much of the success in tackling childhood cancers is due to combining a number of different chemotherapy drugs.
Research to improve imaging and radiotherapy techniques is also playing its part.
Every time I look at Lauren I know how lucky we’ve been - Steven Holland
Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for Scotland, said: “It’s so encouraging to see more and more children surviving cancer. We hope the figures released today will inspire people to give what they can - unwanted clothes really can save lives.”
Ten-year-old Lauren Holland endured six months in an isolation ward at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow after she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia on May 27 2012.
After intensive treatment she has remained cancer free since going in to remission in January 2013.
According to her dad Steven she survived thanks to the advances made in combating the illness.
He said: “Lauren went through six months of hell when she was in isolation.
“Now every time I look at Lauren I know how lucky we’ve been. Lauren is well, would love to have a job working with animals when she grows up and we’re all making new, happy memories now.”
