By Bill Thomas | March 13th
Earlier this year, U.S. Congress cut funding for childhood cancer research from its 2025 budget. These cuts serve as a potent and painful reminder of just how limited the resources available to pediatric cancer researchers really are.
Not only do pediatric cancers receive a only small fraction of the amount of funding regularly allocated for researching other forms of cancer, but there are also fewer pediatric cancer researchers. In fact, it is estimated that there is roughly one pediatric oncologist for every 38,000 children and young adults diagnosed with cancer.
Making matters worse, the relative rarity of many types of childhood cancers means that the researchers that do exist sometimes struggle to gather enough patients for clinical trials. Overall, the pool of data available for pediatric cancer researchers is much smaller than the that available to those studying adult cancers.
Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation has always stressed the importance of collaboration between researchers as a way of overcoming these limitations. With that in mind, we’re excited to report a recent development that could help revolutionize how pediatric cancer researchers collaborate and share data.
The Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine (D3b) within the Division of Neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) recently announced that it has begun research and development of a new, nationwide, cloud-based data sharing and analytics platform, which they are calling RADIANT (Real-time Analysis and Discovery in Integrated And Networked Technologies).
What Data Sharing Means for Pediatric Cancer Research
Today, the landscape of pediatric cancer research is divided into countless tiny, secluded islands, with many different research teams all working on their own isolated projects. Opportunities for interaction and collaboration are limited, and patient data is often fragmented between multiple institutions. D3b hopes to change that with RADIANT, transforming all those isolated islands into one, big, interconnected network.
To achieve this, RADIANT will make use of federated learning, a type of machine learning that trains artificial intelligence models using data from multiple sources, as well as a robust AI toolkit designed specifically for healthcare practitioners. In addition to adapting these new technologies for pediatric cancer research, D3b is also undertaking the monumental task of developing a secure national data infrastructure to facilitate real-time data sharing.
If successful, RADIANT will give clinicians and researchers the ability to access the most accurate and up-to-date information for all patients sharing similarities across multiple modalities. This, in conjunction with RADIANT’s cloud-based tools and computation capabilities, would allow for better, faster diagnostics and decision-making. Children with cancer could gain access to more personalized precision medicine treatments or have the opportunity to take part in relevant clinical trials they might otherwise never even be aware of.
Harnessing New Technology to Accelerate Cancer Cures
Here at Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, we believe that embracing new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, is crucial for building a future where all children diagnosed with cancers can beat their disease and live a happy, healthy, productive life. That’s why we support research that utilizes AI and new technologies in a way that upholds our institutional priorities.
RADIANT and other cutting-edge tech innovations have the potential to help improve treatment models and outcomes, as well as healthcare equity, resource accessibility, and overall quality of life. If you would like to help us harness technology for childhood cancer research, please consider becoming a donor.
To stay up-to-date with all the latest news shaping the future of pediatric cancer treatment, don’t forget to follow the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation Profectus Blog!
