Assorted News from the Last Week:
Parents of kids with cancer fear GOP budget cuts could slash Medicaid What I wish I had known: A pediatric oncologist’s transition to survivorship care The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation to treatment with an investigational B7-H3 targeting autologous CAR-T cell therapy for pediatric patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Researchers trained and validated a deep learning model that can detect subtle changes across post-treatment brain scans and forecast pediatric glioma recurrence with up to 89 percent accuracy. Living in a persistent-poverty neighborhood was associated with a higher risk of early mortality and a higher risk of overall cancer death for pediatric cancer patients. Irish project to implement genomic sequencing in pediatric cancer care.
NIH cuts will set back research into the rare disease that has terrorized my family: Work on Li-Fraumeni syndrome could be set back years or even decades.
Childhood exposure to bacterial toxin may be triggering colorectal cancer among the adolescents and young adults. Study identifies how malaria can lead to childhood cancer.
Upcoming Webinars, Online Opportunities, and Meetings:
Past Recordings:
CAC2’s April webinar, “The Role of AI from Diagnosis to Treatment for Childhood Cancer” Video of highlights from the March 26, 2025 Congressional Forum that Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) convened to spotlight how ongoing interference at the NIH—from canceled grants and leadership upheaval to massive staffing cuts—is already derailing research and putting patients’ lives at risk. No Finish Line: Running 140 Miles for Childhood Cancer — a film that captures the absolutely grueling Folsom Lake 140: a 140-mile trail run with 18,900 feet of climbing, nearly 46 hours on foot, and zero sleep… all to honor 106 incredible kids (34 fighters, 29 survivors, and 43 forever).
Take Action:
- Rep Kathy Castor in St Petersburg and Tampa, FL
- Rep Debbie Dingell in Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rep. Nannette Diaz-Barragan in LA/Compton
- Rep. Jennifer McClellan in Richmond, VA
- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher in Houston, TX
The 2025 Evan Lindberg & Erik Ludwinski College Scholarship
CAC2 Innovation Council Recommendation: Social Genomic Mechanisms of Health Disparities among Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Survivors of Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
The Requester: Study team led by Dr. Brad Zebrack, University of Michigan, School of Social Work
Overview of the Opportunity: The study seeks to understand more about how the world that teen and young adult lymphoma survivors live in affects the outcomes of their cancer treatment.
The Type of Request: Information sharing about an adolescent and young adult survivor study of health disparities.
The Ask: Inform CAC2 Members about the study called Social Genomic Mechanisms of Health Disparities among Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Survivors of Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma that is currently recruiting 18 – 39 year olds who have completed treatment for Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and are within 3 years since the end of treatment. Distribute the informational flyer within members’ networks.
Supporting Documentation:
The study has two primary goals:
- Help develop approaches that improve the mental and physical quality of life for patients and survivors
- Help create more effective treatment and better survivorship care for young adult cancer patients
Informational Flyer for distribution: http://www.cac2.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Adolescent_Young_Adult_Survivor_Study.pdf
Website: https://aftercancergenomics.org
3-minute video explaining the study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=xDlnWKvtkuU&feature=youtu.be
