Top Docs, Researchers Urge Congress To Step Up Childhood Cancer Fight

Top Docs, Researchers Urge Congress To Step Up Childhood Cancer Fight

"McCaul and Sestak will roll the panels' recommendations into a legislative agenda that includes:

- Incentives for drug development (S. 3697): would give pharmaceutical companies that bring a new pediatric drug to market priority review status for a more profitable drug they are developing

- Grants for specialized training to primary care physicians to better identify side effects and re-occurrence of symptoms (HR 2109)

- Greater access to clinical trials

- Greater emphasis on survivorship and impact of childhood cancer on families

- Full funding of the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act (passed in 2009) to increase pediatric cancer research at the National Cancer Institute and create a pediatric cancer registry at the Centers for Disease Control

Most recently, through their efforts on the Caucus, McCaul and Sestak have helped secure $4 million in childhood cancer research funding for FY 2010.

Facts About Childhood Cancer

- Leading killer of children in the United States among diseases
- Kills more people each year ages 1-20 than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS combined
- 35 children are diagnosed each day
- Studies and drug development specific to pediatric cancers remain underfunded
- Since 1980 only one new drug has been approved for treatment of childhood cancer, compared with 50 that have been approved for adults
- For every $6 in federal research per AIDS patient and every $1 per patient with breast cancer, a child with cancer receives only 30 cents
- 3 out of 5 survivors will suffer life-long side effects"

Source:
Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX10)