"I believe that if you keep saying a word and reminding people that something exists, then it exists. So families and supporters, let's say the word "neuroblastoma" at every opportunity and advocate for support for our cause."-Pat Tallungan
"Our family will be forever grateful to Pat Tallungan and the CNCF. We had the opportunity to visit our first CNCF Parent and Caregiver Conference in 2007, shortly after our son Hans had completed radiation therapy in frontline treatment."
-Lara Weberling
"CNCF is an invaluable resource for the neuroblastoma community. Not only do they fund important research aimed at improving outcomes for patients with neuroblastoma, they empower families to learn about this rare disease and the best treatments for their children through their family conferences."
-Dr. Navin Pinto
"CNCF stands ready to provide the tools and resources necessary to achieve our goal of finding a cure. Hope unites, inspires and defines us! A cure is within reach."
-Pat Tallungan
“We have made remarkable strides in the treatment of children with neuroblastoma and bringing many more kids into survivorship to lead full long lives. We could not accomplish this goal without the support of organizations like CNCF, that fund such important research, while also directly providing education and support to families facing this challenging journey.”
-Dr. Araz Marachelian
Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor cancer that arises in immature nerve cells and strikes primarily infants and children. It is the most common cancer affecting infants with an incidence rate of almost double that of leukemia. Its cause is unknown.
COME JOIN US!
What is Neuroblastoma?
Hope Unites Us
Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor cancer that arises in immature nerve cells and strikes primarily infants and children. It is the most common cancer affecting infants with an incidence rate of almost double that of leukemia. Its cause is unknown.
Parent Handbook
Hope Unites Us
We have compiled a comprehensive Parent Handbook for you to refer to during your journey.
Conference Videos
Hope Unites Us
Each year CNCF holds a parent education program to share information on research being conducted and treatment options available for your child’s treatment. View the presentations here.
About CNCF
Hope Unites Us
CNCF was created in 2000 by the family and friends of Nick Tallungan, who at 10 years old, lost his courageous battle with neuroblastoma. One brave child motivated us to make a difference – for all families affected by this disease.
ABOUT CNCF
How we help
CNCF was established in 2000 after struggling with the loss of our son, Nick to neuroblastoma at the age of 10 years old.
At that time, we felt like no one had ever heard of neuroblastoma and no one cared about it either. There was very little information available to help us make an informed decision about his treatment. We were fighting blindly and felt so alone. Our doctors and nurses were amazing, but it wasn’t their job to raise awareness about neuroblastoma in the public or to do fundraisers to help the research efforts and parent education.
We made it our mission to do that. Neuroblastoma is not a highly publicized disease like leukemia or breast cancer or heart disease. But it is slowly getting the attention it deserves. Awareness is the key to making a difference for these children and their families.
Research funding is the key to opening doors for new treatment options for the patients. Laboratory research is the basis for hypothesizing how neuroblastoma is developed in a child, what are the mechanisms that will allow certain therapies to work and for others not to work. Will this agent or chemotherapy or immunotherapy be the silver bullet? We will not know unless we fund the research to get us there.
Clinical trials will test what has been found in the lab. CNCF has funded many clinical trials for relapsed and refractory disease through the New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT) and other institutions.
As a parent how do you make decisions to cure your child? It comes from a knowledge base that CNCF provides for you. Through our annual parent & caregiver educational conferences, you will learn directly from the neuroblastoma researchers who have dedicated their lives to finding a cure.
Our comprehensive Parent Handbook is a major resource for families across the world. It explains in basic terms what your journey may look like. It begins at diagnosis and goes through treatment process and beyond. It is a guide that you will use every step of the way.
Please Join us and be our partner in finding a cure for neuroblastoma. Hope Unites Us!
MEET OUR HEROES
The Struggle
Then 12 yr old Mike Tallungan was in art class at school. They were asked to paint a picture of something significant to them. During this time his younger brother, Nick, had relapsed with neuroblastoma. Mike painted his picture and the teacher called to tell me what he had done as she was in amazement and the story behind it. I had no idea what she was talking about. She sent home a miniature version of his painting.
That night I looked at it and I too was in amazement looking at it and knowing why he did what he did.
The figure on the top is “Nick” with his hands on his stomach as he is in pain. The lightning bolts and slashes are showing his pain. The figure on the bottom represents myself and his dad as we are worried and scared. The other symbols signify our minds are in a whirl we don’t know what to do now.
The sun in the middle means everything will get better. The painting is called “The Struggle” because there are so many questions and not always answers.
It represents the Hope that Unites Us All.
Interview with Devon and Leah Still
As part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we are sharing our interview with former NFL player Devon Still and his daughter Leah, a pediatric high-risk neuroblastoma survivor.
Learn more about Devon and Leah's experiences and listen to the full interview here.