NEWS & VIEWS

Brain and spinal cord tumors, also known as central nervous system (CNS) tumors, are the most common type of solid tumors affecting children. Brain tumors make up about 15% of pediatric cancers, and are the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in children and now, the deadliest type of childhood cancer, ahead of leukemia.

What began as a proposal for a four-center US-based clinical trial of promising combination therapy for children battling brain tumors, has expanded into a large-scale clinical trial at 58 centers in 13 countries, that brings new hope to children across the globe.

September is childhood cancer awareness month, and childhood cancer awareness is represented by the color gold.  We are encouraging kids to swap out their shoelaces during the month of September and support kids fighting cancer by wearing gold.

The British healthcare system has rejected an FDA/EMA-approved treatment proven to increase survival rates for children with cancer.  NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has rejected access to the drug across the UK, stating cost as the reason.  However, when analyzing the real expense on taxpayers, the cost amounts to less than 3 pence per person, per year, in order to give these children access to the life-saving antibody.

This Phase 1 clinical trial is testing a new type of immunotherapy in children with osteosarcoma and neuroblastoma. Read for a brief update on this SKC-funded clinical trial at Karmanos Cancer Institute and MSKCC.

The third annual Lila May Tutu Trot took place in Hood River but this year’s Tutu Trot, sadly, was missing its princess.

In honor of September’s National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Bloomingdale’s 59th Street hosted Runway Heroes. A total of 23 childhood cancer fighters and survivors aged 2-12 walked the runway in the Young World department to benefit two pediatric cancer nonprofits.

John London, co-founder of SKC, wanted to scream in frustration. After three years of treatment, doctors suggested that him and his wife took his daughter, Penelope, home to enjoy their remaining time together. Instead, John scanned hundreds of research abstracts seeking new treatments.

Recently, the potential of oncolytic viruses to treat deadly cancers was featured in a segment of 60 Minutes, which highlighted the work of Matthias Gromeier, MD, at Duke University. Solving Kids’ Cancer has been in discussion with Dr. Gromeier since 2012 to find a way to best bring this novel treatment option to children with deadly brain tumors.