Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy Voices Support

Silver Spring, MD — On April 17, 2008, the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Act was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). This bill, officially titled the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act, would improve and expand the delivery of medical and psychosocial care to survivors of childhood cancer.

“I thank Senator Clinton for introducing legislation that will improve the health of so many survivors of childhood cancer,” said Craig Lustig, Executive Director of the Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy. “With so many survivors experiencing late effects of their treatment, it is crucial that resources are made available to all childhood cancer survivors, especialy those in minority or underserved communities.”

This bill, S.2877, is companion legislation to H.R.4450, with minor modifications. The House version was introduced in December by Reps. Hilda Solis (D-CA) and Mary Bono (R-CA) and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health with 15 cosponsors as of May 8th. The Senate bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, which is chaired by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

The Childhood Cancer Survivorship Act reflects the recommendations of the 2003 IOM Report on Childhood Cancer Survivorship, including provisions in the legislation that would:

Expand cancer control programs, including surveillance programs and comprehensive control programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to improve the health status of childhood cancer survivors;

Establish grants at the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on disparities in survivorship, train health professionals in the delivery of follow-up care to childhood cancer survivors, and develop model systems of monitoring and caring for cancer survivors;

Create grants to establish and operate childhood survivorship clinics for comprehensive long-term follow up services for childhood cancer survivors; and,

Establish grants for childhood cancer organizations to improve physical and psychosocial care for childhood cancer survivors.

“This bill will significantly advance our understanding of the care and treatment for these survivors who need to lead healthy, productive lives,” stated Susan Weiner, President of the Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy and co-editor of the IOM Report.

The bill has received broad endorsement from members of the childhood cancer community through the Alliance for Childhood Cancer, an organization representing CCCA and more than 20 national cancer patient advocacy groups, professional societies and scientific organizations.