CCCA Helps Bring Childhood Cancer Summit to Capitol Hill

Today on Capitol Hill, the Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy (CCCA) participated in a Childhood Cancer Panel Discussion hosted by the Congressional Pediatric Cancer Caucus. Representatives Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Joe Sestak (D-PA), Chairmen of the Caucus, hosted the summit to bring together key lawmakers and advocates. The panel of distinguished cancer experts leading the discussion included Dr. Susan Weiner, President and Founder of CCCA.

“This is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness about the realities and challenges of childhood cancer as the number one disease killer of our children. The Children’s Cause is honored to be a part of this event and bring to the attention of lawmakers the opportunities that exist to make a real difference for the 40,000 children currently fighting cancer, the 12,500 children who will be diagnosed this year, and the growing population of survivors dealing with the long-term serious side effects of toxic treatments.” said Weiner.

Other summit panelists include leading pediatric oncologists and survivorship experts from some of the nation’s most noteworthy centers of cancer research and treatment. The experts addressed how to improve the plight of childhood cancer patients and survivors from their diagnosis and treatment to their long-term survivorship care. The need for pediatric drug development, better treatment protocols, and appropriate follow up care was also discussed.

During her remarks, Weiner commented, “Our policy agenda is quite simple, although the strategies to achieve it are not. We want more effective treatments for our children that have fewer side effects. And we want health care that will help children, adolescents, and adults deal with the adverse effects of the treatments they must take in order to save their lives.” Weiner spoke about some of the specific initiatives designed to change the dire outlook of childhood cancer, especially legislation that creates incentives for the development of new therapies to treat childhood cancer and other rare pediatric diseases.

CCCA, along with CureSearch, held a breakfast reception for the legislators and cancer advocates to meet-and-greet prior to the start of the panel discussion. Special guests included Reps. McCaul and Sestak, as well as former Representative Deborah Pryce, Founder of Hope Street Kids.

This important day of pediatric cancer events on Capitol Hill coincides with this year’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The full list of panelists taking part in today’s summit is as follows:

• Dr. Peter Adamson, Incoming Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group
• Dr. Eugenie Kleinerman, Head of the Division of Pediatrics at MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Dr. Susan Blaney, Deputy Director of the Texas Children’s Cancer Center
• Dr. Melissa Hudson, Director of the Cancer Survivorship Division at St. Jude Children’s Hospital
• Dr. Kevin Oeffinger, Director of the Adult Long-Term Follow-Up Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• Dr. Susan Weiner, Founder of the Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy (click to read her full remarks)
• Nancy Goodman, Founder of Kids V Cancer.

CCCA is a leading national advocacy organization that works to achieve access to less toxic and more effective therapies, expand resources for treatment, and address the needs and challenges of childhood cancer survivors and their families. CCCA works to ensure that these needs and perspectives are integrated into the highest deliberations of cancer policy.