New Insights into Pediatric Cancer Treatments and Funding Needs

Lianna Munir, an eight-year-old from Bellmawr, New Jersey, was diagnosed two years ago with a rare form of leukemia after experiencing fevers and fainting spells. Despite intensive chemotherapy failing to improve her condition, she was treated with CAR T-cell therapy at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which successfully rendered her leukemia undetectable.

This case illustrates significant advancements in pediatric cancer treatments, particularly CAR T-cell therapy, which uses re-engineered immune cells to target cancer. However, a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research highlights a critical need for increased research funding in pediatric cancer, noting that only about 4% of federal cancer research dollars were allocated to childhood cancer before 2021.

The report emphasizes that while over 20 molecularly-targeted therapies and more than 10 immunotherapies have been approved for pediatric cancers since 2015, challenges remain, especially regarding pediatric brain cancers, which have become the leading cause of disease-related deaths in children.

The five-year survival rates for certain pediatric cancers are above 90%, but for others like gliomas and sarcomas, they remain below 25%. Additionally, a significant number of childhood cancer survivors will face chronic health conditions as adults due to their treatment.

Elaine Mardis, a pediatric cancer researcher at Ohio State University and report author, stressed the importance of advocating for improved drug access and the execution of necessary clinical trials. Munir's mother, Adrian Horn, expressed the urgency of ongoing research, stating, 'If we hit a plateau, we don't have a next step to go to.' The report calls for more funding from the National Institutes of Health and other sources to support the continuation of these vital advancements in pediatric cancer care.