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Daily Read: Sports & Health

Teens create card game to teach children about cancer

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Zhang and his classmate Zachary Tou have developed a Pokémon-inspired card game called Tumor Tactics to help children understand cancer biology. Inspired by personal family experiences with the disease, the duo designed the game to explain complex medical concepts like chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy through engaging gameplay. Players take on the role of doctors working to cure different types of tumors while managing risks such as treatment side effects and cancer recurrence. The creators ensured scientific accuracy by consulting medical professionals, including an immunologist and a physician, and researching resources from the National Cancer Institute. Operating as a student-led nonprofit, the organization conducts educational workshops in San Diego public schools for students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. These sessions allow children to learn about tumor progression and treatment resistance without requiring prior biology knowledge. Through these workshops, the teens have observed students discovering new gameplay strategies and sharing personal stories about relatives facing cancer. Zhang and Tou are currently seeking further feedback from major healthcare institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic, to refine the game and improve its accessibility for children directly affected by the disease.

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The essential points

  1. 01Daniel Zhang and Zachary Tou created Tumor Tactics to teach children about cancer treatments and biological concepts.
  2. 02The game uses mechanics inspired by Pokémon to simulate medical decisions, side effects, and tumor progression.
  3. 03A student-led nonprofit is currently hosting educational workshops for elementary and middle school students in San Diego.
  4. 04The creators consulted medical experts and national cancer institutes to ensure the game remains scientifically accurate.
The full brief

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Zhang and his classmate Zachary Tou have developed a Pokémon-inspired card game called Tumor Tactics to help children understand cancer biology. Inspired by personal family experiences with the disease, the duo designed the game to explain complex medical concepts like chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy through engaging gameplay. Players take on the role of doctors working to cure different types of tumors while managing risks such as treatment side effects and cancer recurrence.

The creators ensured scientific accuracy by consulting medical professionals, including an immunologist and a physician, and researching resources from the National Cancer Institute. Operating as a student-led nonprofit, the organization conducts educational workshops in San Diego public schools for students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. These sessions allow children to learn about tumor progression and treatment resistance without requiring prior biology knowledge.

Through these workshops, the teens have observed students discovering new gameplay strategies and sharing personal stories about relatives facing cancer. Zhang and Tou are currently seeking further feedback from major healthcare institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic, to refine the game and improve its accessibility for children directly affected by the disease.