Two 17-year-old students have developed a Pokémon-inspired card game designed to help children understand cancer biology, and their student-led nonprofit is now bringing workshops to schools across San Diego.
Daniel Zhang and his classmate Zachary Tou created Tumor Tactics, a game that uses familiar card-game mechanics to explain complex medical concepts to young learners. The project reaches children from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The idea took root in Zhang's own childhood. At age nine, he witnessed his grandmother undergo chemotherapy and struggle to comprehend why a treatment could cause such visible harm, including hair loss. That early confusion stayed with him. Later, when his grandfather received a cancer diagnosis, Zhang noticed a similar lack of understanding in his seven-year-old sister, and the experience prompted him to act.
In Tumor Tactics, gameplay mirrors the uncertainties of real treatment. Zhang explained the design to DailyGood: "chemotherapy can be a really powerful treatment, but you have to roll a die to determine how effective it is, and you might have to skip your next turn to recover from its side effects."
What began as one student's effort to make a difficult subject accessible has expanded into a nonprofit organization run by students. The workshops, held in San Diego schools, introduce cancer biology through interactive play rather than lecture.
A notable feature of each session occurs at its conclusion, when Zhang and Tou open the floor for discussion. Children often volunteer personal stories about cancer in their own families, demonstrating a need not only for information but also for a space in which to be heard.
The initiative reflects a broader effort to demystify serious illness for young audiences, using familiar game structures to build understanding and encourage conversation.
