Coalition Against Childhood Cancer

COLLABORATIVE NETWORK TO SUPPORT & SERVE THE CHILDHOOD CANCER COMMUNITY.

CAC2 MARKED ITS 10TH YEAR OF SERVICE TO THE CHILDHOOD CANCER COMMUNITY THIS YEAR. DURING THAT TIME, CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVAL RATES HAVE IMPROVED, SUPPORT SERVICES HAVE EXPANDED, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS HAVE STRENGTHENED. THROUGHOUT ITS 2022-2023 FISCAL YEAR, CAC2 CONTINUED TO DELIVER ON ITS MISSION IN ITS CORE AREAS OF SERVICE TO THE CHILDHOOD CANCER COMMUNITY.RESEARCH & TREATMENT CAC2 DEVELOPED THE PAIR WORKSHOP TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES FOR PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY DRUG DEVELOPMENT THAT DRIVE MEANINGFUL AND ETHICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PAOS AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.IN ADDITION, CAC2 CONTINUES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERNATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP, COLLABORATING TO PROVIDE FUNDING DATA IN A CENTRAL REPOSITORY OF PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH STUDIES. THIS TOOL HELPS ASSESS FUNDING PRIORITIES, IDENTIFY GAPS, AND RAISE AWARENESS FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH PROJECTS. FINALLY, CAC2 MEMBERS ATTENDED CONFERENCES GLOBALLY, INCLUDING THE CHILDREN'S BRAIN TUMOR NETWORK SCIENTIFIC SUMMIT, BRAINSTORM SUMMIT, SIOP ANNUAL CONGRESS, ACCELERATE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AND THE PAEDIATRIC STRATEGY FORUM ON DNA DAMAGE REPAIR INHIBITORS.ATTENDEES WERE ABLE TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND NETWORK TOGETHER.ADVOCACY & AWARENESS - THE CAC2 STATE CANCER INITIATIVE PROGRESSED WITH THE STATE CANCER ACTION PLAN DATA AND TOOLKIT THAT ORGANIZES ADVOCATES, DATA, AND RESOURCES FOR COLLABORATION AT THE STATE LEVEL. IN ADDITION, WE HARNESSED OUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTH TO ADVOCATE AND RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDHOOD CANCER COMMUNITY THROUGH SUPPORT FOR AND PASSAGE OF PRESIDENT BIDEN'S PROCLAMATION OF SEPTEMBER 2022 AS NATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH; SUPPORT FOR, PASSAGE OF, AND TOTAL FUNDING FOR THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE CHILDHOOD CANCER STAR ACT FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS; SUPPORT FOR AND PASSAGE BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MILLION DOLLAR MISSION HR 623 GABRIELLA MILLER KIDS FIRST RESEARCH ACT 2.0, ACTION DAYS 2023; INTERNATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER DAY (ICCD); THE NCI CCDI ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM; INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER SURVIVORSHIP ACT; AND MULTIPLE SIGN-ON OPPORTUNITIES. ON MAY 25, 2023, THE WHITE HOUSE CONVENED LEADERS FROM THE BRAIN CANCER COMMUNITY FOR A GLIOBLASTOMA AND DIPG FORUM. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2022, IN COORDINATION WITH CUREFEST 2022 ACTIVITIES, THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY HOSTED THE WHITE HOUSE CANCER MOONSHOT: CHILDHOOD CANCER FORUM. SEVERAL CAC2 MEMBERS ATTENDED THESE GATHERINGS AND WERE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER.FAMILY SUPPORT & SURVIVORSHIP - THE SURVIVORSHIP INTEREST GROUP'S IMPACTFUL WORK INCLUDED THE BETTER TOGETHER SURVIVORSHIP CONNECTION (BTSC) AND PRE-LAUNCH WORK ON THE SURVIVORSHIP TOOLKIT. BTSC CONNECTS CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS, PARENTS, CAREGIVERS, FAMILY MEMBERS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, PROFESSIONALS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO A FREE DATABASE OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT CANCER SURVIVORS. THE SURVIVORSHIP TOOLKIT WILL FEATURE SIX CATEGORIES: EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE AND PLANNING; INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL HEALTH; MANAGING PHYSICAL HEALTH AND LATE EFFECTS; PSYCHOSOCIAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH/WELLBEING; TRANSITIONING TO ADULTHOOD; AND WELLNESS/HEALTHY BEHAVIORS. CAC2 ALSO OFFERED MONTHLY INTEREST GROUP DROP-IN MEETINGS AND REVAMPED THE HOPE PORTAL AND CHILDHOOD CANCER FACT LIBRARY.CONNECT & LEARN - CAC2 PROVIDED ROBUST EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH THROUGH OUR WEBINAR SERIES AND BY ENHANCING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MEMBERS TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND BEST PRACTICES. FOREMOST AMONG THESE EFFORTS IS THE CAC2 ANNUAL SUMMIT. THE CAC2 WEBINAR SERIES FEATURED SEVEN OFFERINGS. TOPICS INCLUDED MEET & GREETS, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ALLIANCE FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER ACTION DAYS 2023, PEDIATRIC CANCER ADVOCACY FROM YOUR OWN BACKYARD, NOT FOR PROFIT FINANCIAL MATTERS: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE 990, NOT FOR PROFIT FINANCIAL MATTERS, HEARING LOSS FROM CISPLATIN MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON THE NEW FDA PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT OPTION, AND WHY SHOULD FOUNDATIONS COLLABORATE TO FUND RESEARCH AND HOW THE FOUNDATION MATCH PLATFORM CAN HELP. THE CAC2 BLOG SERIES FEATURED NINE POSTS: THANKFUL AND FEARFUL, MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION INITIATIVE (MCI) CONTINUES TO ENROLL, CELEBRATING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER SURVIVORSHIP ACT, SAVE THE DATE! ACTION DAYS 2023 RETURNS TO WASHINGTON, D.C., CHILDHOOD CANCER DATA INITIATIVE WELCOMES DR. GREGORY REAMAN AS ITS NEW SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, THE FIT FOR FILING GROUP AT ACCELERATE, NEW FDA DRAFT GUIDANCE AIMS TO PROTECT CHILDREN WHO PARTICIPATE IN CLINICAL TRIALS, NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE'S CCDI MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION INITIATIVE ADDS RARE TUMORS, AND NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE LAUNCHES THE CCDI MOLECULAR TARGETS PLATFORM.THE 2023 CAC2 ANNUAL SUMMIT, HOSTED AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF ATLANTA, BROUGHT TOGETHER APPROXIMATELY 110 MEMBERS AND GUESTS TO SET PRIORITIES FOR COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS. A SPECIAL CELEBRATION DINNER MARKED CAC2'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY DURING THE SUMMIT.