Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death among children under the age of 19 in the United States.
A cancer diagnosis is devastating, especially for a child; but sometimes the treatment can be even worse. 95% of childhood cancer survivors develop a significant health-related issue by the time they are 45 years old as a side effect of their cancer treatment. While there has been tremendous progress in the treatment of some types of pediatric cancer over the past 50 years, only six drugs are approved for use (in the first instance) in cancer treatment for children.
New research is urgently needed to improve treatments and outcomes for childhood cancer patients and, most importantly, to save lives. Collaboration is the key to accelerating the pace of that research.
In honor of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, PCRF collaborated with the La Jolla Institute, a national leader dedicated to increasing knowledge and improving health through studies of the immune system, to create a resource guide. Our Understanding Pediatric Cancer Resource Guide provides an overview of pediatric cancer, the funding landscape for current research efforts, and how we are contributing to progress.
