In Zacatecas, 200 children with childhood cancer are receiving cancer treatment or follow-up medication. Among them is Uriel de Jesús, a 16-year-old boy who, at 14, was diagnosed with a stomach tumor that had spread to his lungs and liver.
“I was in shock; I didn’t expect that,” he recalls of the moment he received his childhood cancer diagnosis at the Zacatecas General Social Security Hospital. The first symptom was severe abdominal pain that prevented him from eating. He was diagnosed with gastritis in two private clinics, but later experienced fatigue, nausea, yellowish skin, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Cancer in Zacatecas
The early diagnosis of childhood cancer led to six cycles of chemotherapy that weakened him to the point of quitting soccer and suspending his in-person classes. “When I started cancer treatment, they placed a catheter in my chest and recommended I not play sports,” he says.
Currently, Uriel maintains the hope of returning to his normal life and becoming a teacher.
So far in 2025, seven new cases of childhood cancer have been reported in Zacatecas, although the state average is 25 to 30 each year. The most common pathologies are childhood leukemia, lymphomas in children, and central nervous system tumors, reported Alondra Ávila Venegas, head of the Department of Cancer Prevention in Children and Adolescents at the Zacatecas Health Secretariat.
The official added that between 10 and 12 children die from cancer each year, a figure that could be reduced with early diagnosis and proper treatment. Zacatecas has a 73% five-year survival rate for childhood cancer, exceeding the national average of 57%.
Comprehensive Support for Children with Cancer in Zacatecas
When Uriel needs cancer medications or medical tests in Mexico City and lacks resources, he receives help from the Mexican Association for Help to Children with Cancer (AMANC).
We feel we are not alone; they provide support for treatment, medical tests, and psychological support for children with cancer. It is a tremendous support. Elidia Flores, mother of a patient
For 24 years, AMANC Zacatecas has supported 905 children with cancer. Currently, 203 pediatric patients are under medical supervision and 49 are childhood cancer survivors. The organization collaborates with the Zacatecas General Hospital to deliver cancer medications and catheters, and covers transportation for patients from distant municipalities.
The funds come from the collection and sale of bottle caps in 55 heart-shaped containers installed in various municipalities, as well as from the Herbalife Foundation, which this year will donate $32,000 to feed children with cancer.
Companies, citizens, and state authorities are also collaborating, as some medications for childhood cancer cost up to 20,000 pesos.
Source: oem
