Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

What every parent should know

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, you can learn about current research, understand which clinical trials may be available, and connect with other families who understand what you are going through. This guide explains why the month matters for families facing pediatric brain tumors, how to find reliable information, what recent research updates mean in plain language, and how you can turn awareness into action in ways that feel right for you. 

What is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month?

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is observed every September. It is a time when families, doctors, researchers, and advocacy groups around the world come together to focus on children and teenagers who are living with cancer, including brain tumors. The gold ribbon is the symbol of this movement, representing children's strength and resilience.

Each September, gold ribbons appear across communities to spotlight childhood cancer. For families facing pediatric brain tumors, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is a focused time when trusted organizations share clear information, highlight new treatment options, and bring attention to the urgent needs of children living with brain cancer.

Each September, gold ribbons appear across communities to spotlight childhood cancer. For families facing pediatric brain tumors, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is a focused time when trusted organizations share clear information, highlight new treatment options, and bring attention to the urgent needs of children living with brain cancer.

Why Childhood Cancer Awareness Month matters for families facing pediatric brain tumors

When your child is diagnosed with a brain tumor, you may be trying to understand complex medical terms, coordinate  hospital visits and daily life, and process a lot of new information all at once. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month cannot make the diagnosis easier, but it can help you connect to reliable information and community support.

Helping you find reliable information in a sea of conflicting advice:

If your child has a brain tumor, you may quickly discover that the internet is full of mixed messages. Some websites are trustworthy, while others share unproven or misleading claims. This makes it harder to know which sources to trust at the moment when clear guidance matters most.

Awareness Month is a time when major health organizations work together to offer evidence-based, easy-to-understand information.

Turning awareness into research funding and treatment options

Awareness Month does more than raise visibility. It also supports real progress. When people learn about childhood cancer, they are more likely to donate, volunteer, and advocate for better treatments. This attention helps fund research studies and clinical trials that focus specifically on children.

Groups such as the American Association for Cancer Research explain how national campaigns in September help highlight the unique needs of children with cancer. Global agencies, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer, use this month to share new data and point out where care is still lacking, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

For your family, this can lead to:

  • More clinical trial options over time

  • Greater focus on safer treatments and long-term quality of life

  • Stronger networks like PNOC that connect hospitals around the world to share knowledge and open trials closer to where families live

Building parent knowledge through community education

You don’t need to become a medical expert overnight, but having basic knowledge can help you participate more actively in your child’s care. 

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, many organizations host:

  • Online webinars with pediatric neuro-oncologists

  • Q&A sessions with nurses, social workers, and trial coordinators

  • Parent-to-parent support groups and storytelling events

These events can help you understand topics like molecular profiling, clinical trial design, and survivorship in straightforward language, so you can talk with your child’s medical team as an informed partner.

How to get involved

Practical ways families and communities can raise awareness

Your first responsibility is to your child and your family. Anything you do beyond that is optional. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month offers several meaningful ways to help move the field forward and support other families.

  • Support Gold Ribbon Campaigns and Local Events

    The gold ribbon is the international symbol for childhood cancer awareness. During September, many communities, schools, and workplaces host gold-themed events.

    You can:

    • Join national efforts like the Go Gold campaign from the American Childhood Cancer Organization.

    • Use PNOC Foundation’s Fundraise for Cures tools to direct donations specifically to pediatric brain tumor research and clinical trials.

    Even small events: a school spirit day, a bake sale, or a neighborhood walk, can raise money, build understanding, and give your child a show of support from their community.

  • Percentage Bequest

    Leave a percentage of your total estate to PNOC Foundation. This type of gift adjusts automatically if your estate grows or shrinks, making it a flexible and future-proof option.

    Sample language: "I give and bequeath [X]% of my estate to PNOC Foundation (EIN 46-3152273), to be used for its general charitable purposes."

  • Residuary Bequest

    Direct all — or a portion — of what remains in your estate after debts, taxes, and other bequests have been settled. Residuary gifts can be among the most significant, as they grow proportionally with your estate.

    Sample language: "I give and bequeath all [or X%] of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to PNOC Foundation (EIN 46-3152273), to be used for its general charitable purposes."

  • Pediatric brain tumors are among the most serious childhood cancers, yet they have not always received as much attention as other types. September helps shine a light on brain tumor–specific research and clinical trials, so more people understand the need for specialized treatments. Organizations like PNOC use this time to highlight trials and resources focused just on pediatric brain and central nervous system tumors.

  • Awareness alone cannot guarantee a new treatment for your child, but it can support funding, research, and new clinical trials that may benefit them now or in the future. Greater attention also helps networks like PNOC connect families with expert centers more quickly. Over time, this can lead to more treatment choices and better long-term care for children with brain tumors.

  • You can start with PNOC’s Clinical Trials page and PNOC Foundation’s Participating Hospitals list to see where trials may be available. You can also search ClinicalTrials.gov by your child’s tumor type to learn about studies in different locations. Your child’s medical team can help you review which trials might be a possible fit.

  • September often brings a high volume of information at once that can feel overwhelming. Try choosing just one or two trusted sources, such as NCI and PNOC Foundation, and focus only on those for now. You can also write down questions and bring them to your child’s doctors or hospital social worker, so you do not feel pressure to process everything alone.

  • “Meaningful” can be very small and still very powerful. You might share one accurate article, tell your story when you feel ready, or support brain tumor–focused research through campaigns like PNOC’s Lose No Child. Sharing accurate information, asking questions, and staying engaged with your child’s care team are all meaningful forms of advocacy.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month can feel like a lot of information all at once. Below are answers to common questions parents of children with brain tumors often ask, to help you focus on what matters most.

From Awareness to Action:

Connect With Clinical Trials and Research Through PNOC

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is more than gold ribbons. It is about opening doors to information, support, and research that may help children now and in the future. For families facing pediatric brain tumors, this month can be a time to pause, gather reliable information, and think through possible next steps with your child’s care team. Your child’s care team is there to offer clear explanations and honest conversations. 

The Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) and PNOC Foundation work together to accelerate research and clinical trials for children with brain tumors, uniting leading clinicians and researchers around the world. Through PNOC’s clinical trials, your family can explore clinical trial options, stay informed on new developments, and, if and when you are ready, help drive progress that may improve outcomes for children everywhere.