Cancer Treatment Breakthroughs: Saving Lives but Funding Remains Elusive
The case of six-year-old Lianna Munir, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia two years ago, is a stark reminder of the progress being made in pediatric cancer treatment. Thanks to cutting-edge therapies like CAR T-cell therapy, Munir's leukemia has become undetectable, and she's now back to living a relatively normal life.
Munir's experience is just one example of how advancements in pediatric cancer treatments are revolutionizing childhood cancer care. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently released a report highlighting the successes and challenges in this field. According to the report, funding for pediatric cancer research has historically been significantly lower than that for adult cancer research.
In 2021, only about 4% of federal cancer research dollars were allocated to childhood cancer. This is concerning given the significant strides being made in developing new treatments. In the past decade, over 20 molecularly-targeted therapies and more than 10 immunotherapies have been approved for pediatric cancers, including CAR T-cell therapy.
These advancements have enabled clinicians to tailor treatment plans for specific types of pediatric cancers based on their molecular profiles. Gene editing, liquid biopsy, and artificial intelligence are also being explored as new therapeutic options.
However, despite these gains, there is still much work to be done. Pediatric brain cancers remain a leading cause of death among children, with five-year survival rates ranging from below 25% for some types. Chronic health conditions affecting children who have survived cancer are also a pressing concern, with up to 90% of survivors experiencing at least one long-term condition by adulthood.
The AACR report emphasizes the need for increased funding to continue advancing pediatric cancer research. The organization is advocating for more resources from the National Institutes of Health and other sources to develop new treatments and improve existing ones.
As Munir's mother, Adrian Horn, so eloquently put it, "If we hit a plateau, we don't have a next step to go to. We need to keep being ready for it when it doesn't work anymore." The hope is that future research will lead to even more effective treatments and improve the overall outlook for children with cancer.
The progress made in pediatric cancer treatment is a testament to the dedication of researchers, clinicians, and families like Munir's. However, as Horn noted, "We just want to continue to advocate for access and improved drugs and hopefully the ability to execute the clinical trials that we need to have to qualify those drugs for patient care."
The case of six-year-old Lianna Munir, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia two years ago, is a stark reminder of the progress being made in pediatric cancer treatment. Thanks to cutting-edge therapies like CAR T-cell therapy, Munir's leukemia has become undetectable, and she's now back to living a relatively normal life.
Munir's experience is just one example of how advancements in pediatric cancer treatments are revolutionizing childhood cancer care. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently released a report highlighting the successes and challenges in this field. According to the report, funding for pediatric cancer research has historically been significantly lower than that for adult cancer research.
In 2021, only about 4% of federal cancer research dollars were allocated to childhood cancer. This is concerning given the significant strides being made in developing new treatments. In the past decade, over 20 molecularly-targeted therapies and more than 10 immunotherapies have been approved for pediatric cancers, including CAR T-cell therapy.
These advancements have enabled clinicians to tailor treatment plans for specific types of pediatric cancers based on their molecular profiles. Gene editing, liquid biopsy, and artificial intelligence are also being explored as new therapeutic options.
However, despite these gains, there is still much work to be done. Pediatric brain cancers remain a leading cause of death among children, with five-year survival rates ranging from below 25% for some types. Chronic health conditions affecting children who have survived cancer are also a pressing concern, with up to 90% of survivors experiencing at least one long-term condition by adulthood.
The AACR report emphasizes the need for increased funding to continue advancing pediatric cancer research. The organization is advocating for more resources from the National Institutes of Health and other sources to develop new treatments and improve existing ones.
As Munir's mother, Adrian Horn, so eloquently put it, "If we hit a plateau, we don't have a next step to go to. We need to keep being ready for it when it doesn't work anymore." The hope is that future research will lead to even more effective treatments and improve the overall outlook for children with cancer.
The progress made in pediatric cancer treatment is a testament to the dedication of researchers, clinicians, and families like Munir's. However, as Horn noted, "We just want to continue to advocate for access and improved drugs and hopefully the ability to execute the clinical trials that we need to have to qualify those drugs for patient care."
. These new treatments are saving lives, but funding is still kinda meh 
. It's crazy how little money is going towards pediatric cancer research compared to adult cancer research. Like, what even is the point of having all these breakthroughs if we can't afford to make them accessible? 
she's like a superhero fighting cancer and winning! But seriously, it's super sad that funding for pediatric cancer research is still kinda low 
. I mean, we're making so many breakthroughs in treatments but not enough money to keep them going 
... but no one has the resources to make it happen 
. We need more people and money to help kids like Lianna get the care they deserve 
. And can we please talk about how awesome gene editing is? 
It's like, science magic 
! Let's keep pushing forward with research and hope that one day we'll have a cure for everything 
. I feel bad for kids like Lianna who are making progress with new treatments 
. Gene editing and AI are the future of medicine 
. Can we pls give them more resources? 
. The fact that over 90% of childhood cancer survivors experience long-term health issues is just heartbreaking 
. We can't let funding dry up - there are too many kids counting on us 
. It's great that organizations like AACR are advocating for more support, but we need to take action now to ensure our children have access to the best possible care 
. And honestly, I get why they're advocating for more resources - it's not just about funding, it's also about access to good treatment options and follow-up care 
. like what if Lianna Munir was not so lucky? her mom is literally fighting for access to new treatments because they just didnt have enough funding 
especially since they're still fighting these battles with such low survival rates and chronic health conditions 
lets keep pushing for more research and funding so kids like lianna can live their best lives 
. It's disheartening to note that only 4% of federal cancer research dollars were directed towards childhood cancer in 2021. This underfunding hampers the pace of progress being made in developing innovative treatments, such as CAR T-cell therapy 
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I mean, we can't just stop at the progress made so far and expect more breakthroughs without investment... but at the same time, shouldn't we be celebrating the little wins too? 
, a little terrier mix named Max. I used to take him on long walks around the park, and one time he got loose and ran into a lake. Luckily, he swam back to shore without any issues. It's crazy how some things just come together in life, like when you least expect it. Anyway, back to cancer treatment... I think we need more funding for research, but what if we could make some money from the treatments themselves? Like, imagine a way to turn cancer cells into a resource that can help others... 
and btw those gene editing, liquid biopsy, and AI options sound like the future of medicine 
her story is literally giving me chills and making me wanna cry at the same time... its just not right that funding for pediatric cancer research is still super low compared to adult cancer research like 4%?? thats ridiculous!!! we need to do more to support these amazing researchers and clinicians who are working day & night to save lives 