Sunday, October 28, 2012

31 for 21: DAY 28 :: Sad, but true

Cancer is a topic that no one likes to discuss, but it is one that is close to my heart.  Many family members and close friends have been affected by cancer, with the most difficult being, of course, my father losing his battle with colon cancer in 2004 at the young age of 54.  Cancer scares the living daylights out of me because it is so prominent in my family history. 
Now it scares me even more for another reason ...

Down Syndrome Fact of the Day #28:

Children with Down syndrome have an increased risk of leukemia compared to children without Down syndrome, with the vast majority of the affected cases taking place within the first 5 years of life.

While children with Ds are more frequently affected by leukemia, they interestingly respond better and more rapidly to treatment than typical children do.  Moreover, solid tumors are really rare in people with Down syndrome (leukemia is a blood cancer).  Because of this, some researchers suggest that the extra 21st chromosome in Ds may actually hold many clues in cancer research!  Pretty amazing, huh?!?!

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