Join NBTS’s campaign to raise awareness about the importance of biomarker testing and clinical trials for patients with brain tumors.
READ MOREPublished on September 20, 2017 in Press Release
National Brain Tumor Society Chief Executive Officer David F. Arons, JD, released the following statement:
“The Defeat Pediatric Brain Tumors Research Collaborative seeks to fundamentally change the way pediatric brain cancer research and drug discovery is funded and conducted, while ultimately delivering a new standard of care for patients with the highly-aggressive type of tumors known as pediatric high-grade gliomas. We greatly appreciate the support from Rally Foundation, as we seek to leverage their extraordinary philanthropy into better outcomes for our most vulnerable patients.”
Pediatric brain tumors recently surpassed leukemia as the leading cause of cancer-related death in children and adolescents under the age of 19, now accounting for three out of every 10 cancer deaths in American kids, according to a 2016 CDC report. They are also one of the two most prevalent forms of childhood cancer, along with leukemia. There has never been a drug developed specifically for any pediatric brain tumor and there is no cure. Specifically, for children receiving a pediatric high-grade glioma diagnosis, less than 30% are expected to survive more than five years. For one type of pediatric high-grade glioma, called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (or “DIPG”), the prognosis is tragically a survival duration of approximately nine months. There is no standard of care for these children, and thus there has been little change to survival rates for pediatric high-grade glioma patients in four decades.
The Defeat Pediatric Brain Tumors Research Collaborative will establish an integrated consortium of leading pediatric neuro-oncologists in a ‘pre-clinical to clinical’ research infrastructure to foster collaboration and data-sharing amongst many of the field’s top researchers to permanently alter the trajectory of pediatric high-grade glioma research and treatment.
Rally Foundation Founder and CEO Dean Crowe, commented:
“Rally believes strongly in collaborations between researchers and organizations. Rally grants are awarded through a rigorous dual peer-review process. The NBTS grant application received excellent scores and comments from our reviewers. We are hopeful that by bringing the brightest minds together, DIPG will have met its match.”
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About National Brain Tumor Society
National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to the brain tumor community. We are fiercely committed to finding better treatments and driving rapid progress toward a cure for brain tumors. We drive a multi-faceted and thoughtful approach to aggressively influence and fund strategic research, as well as advocate for public policy changes, in order to achieve the greatest impact, results, and progress for brain tumor patients. Money raised by the generous donations of our supporters has directly funded groundbreaking discoveries, programs, clinical trials and policy initiatives. To learn more visit www.braintumor.org
About the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research
Cancer is the #1 disease killer of kids in America ages 1 to 19. Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (Rally), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, empowers volunteers across the country to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures. Since its founding in 2005, Rally has awarded more than $11 million in grants funding 252 research projects. According to independently audited financials, 92 cents of every dollar raised supports Rally’s mission. Rally holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, is recognized as a GuideStar Platinum Participant and received the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence from America’s Best Charities. For more information, visit RallyFoundation.org.