CAC2 Childhood Cancer Community News Digest (April 11-17)

Assorted News from Last Week:

The Coalition Against Childhood Cancer is pleased to announce the 2022 Annual Summit hosted by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and presented by Day One Biopharmaceuticals.  This annual event reflects the CAC2 values and mission by providing top-notch educational programming, designing multiple opportunities for members to connect and engage, and showcasing the ongoing work of our members who are working for a future without childhood cancers.

Why is investing in drugs to treat rare diseases an attractive investment for drug companies?

A compendium on CAR-T Cell Therapy from the National Cancer Institute.

Methionine restriction may improve aggressive brain cancer prognosis in children.

Incentives to spur repurposing of existing generics for novel uses would open a new paradigm in drug R&D.

Summary of The Lancet article “Long-term care for people treated for cancer during childhood and adolescence.”  Will try to find ungated access.

Upcoming Webinars, Online Opportunities, and Meetings:

You’re invited to join the Alliance for Childhood Cancer for the 11th Annual Childhood Cancer Action Days. This virtual event brings our community together to advocate for important childhood cancer issues currently before Congress.  Training will be virtually held on Thursday, April 21st at 1 p.m. EST in preparation for the virtual Action Day on Thursday, April 28th.  Register to participate: https://www.allianceforchildhoodcancer.org/join-us/action-days-2022.html.

On May 11 at 2:00-4:00 ET, join the NIH Common Fund for another public webinar.  Register to hear updates from the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First), as well as latest research findings from Kids First investigators. The Kids First Data Resource Center (Kids First DRC) will also be on hand to present updates on the latest analysis tools and resources in development within the Data Resource.

On Thursday, May 19 at 1:00 ET, CAC2 Member PREP4Gold will present a prevention webinar on the topic of  Childhood Cancer Prevention: The Ultimate Form of Cure. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a better understanding of prevention of childhood cancer, and how you can get involved in this important advocacy. Register link.

Virtual Triage Cancer Conference on Saturday, May 21, 2022  7am-3:30pm PT | 9am-5:30pm CT | 10am-6:30pm ET include sessions on:

• Being an Empowered Patient and Advocate
• Health Insurance: Understanding Your Options & Using Your Coverage
• Practical Tools for Managing Medical Bills, Your Financial Health, & Estate Document
• Employment Issues: Working Through Treatment and Taking Time Off
• Disability Insurance: Options, Applications, & Appeals

The 20^th International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, ISPNO 2022 from 12 – 15 June 2022, and the Annual Meeting of the Brain Tumor Group of SIOP Europe (SIOPE-BTG) in Hamburg, Germany, from 11 – 12 June 2022.  Registration link.

Recordings of Recent Past Events:

• Annie Bartosz (Student Member)

Take Action:

The following Action Opportunities are sponsored by Childhood Cancer International (CCI) to aid children with cancer and their families in the Ukraine.  CAC2 is a member of CCI.

The campaign to support Ukrainian families is called the Ukrainian Childhood Cancer Emergency Fund.  All funds will be centralised on CCI Europe’s bank account and spent following a strict and transparent workframe including regular reports.

In an effort to better support families, Ryan’s Case for Smiles is seeking caregivers to participate in a 1 hour recorded Zoom session while navigating through our site CopingSpace.org. They can be any member of the family who cares for the child (Father/Mother/Grandparent/Aunt etc) and will receive a $25 Amazon gift card for their participation. We are also collecting shorter online surveys at https://copingspace.org/survey/.  Email Katie at  for more information and to participate.

The EVAN Foundation (CAC2 Member) is proud to announce the launch of the Evan Lindberg and Erik Ludwinski College Scholarship Program for Childhood Cancer Survivors. HS seniors can apply for awards of $2,500 a year, renewable annually for 4 years of undergraduate coursework. Applications accepted from March 15th – May 1st. Two scholarships will be awarded in 2022 with winners announced July 1st.  Click for more information and to apply.

Childhood Cancer International has a call for real life stories to focus attention on the childhood cancer community. “We will be using actual stories from real people worldwide, including: patients and their families, survivors, bereaved parents and health providers. For this, we need your help. We want to highlight what CCI members organizations are doing in each region and the impact they are having. Our goal is to portray testimonials from all around the globe, so your inputs are crucial.”  This is an open invitation.  We want to expand your voice and to give visibility to everyone.  Submit stories here.