August 1, 2008

Conquer Childhood Cancer Act

President Bush Signs "Conquer Childhood Cancer Act" in White House Ceremony Children with Cancer and Their Families to Benefit

July 29, 2008 (Bethesda, MD) - CureSearch National Childhood Cancer
Foundation is pleased to announce that President George W. Bush has
signed into law H.R. 1553, the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood
Cancer Act, at a ceremony in the Oval Office.
This legislation was named in memory of Caroline Pryce Walker,
daughter of Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH), who succumbed to
neuroblastoma in 1999 at age nine, and will dramatically increase
federal investment into childhood cancer research.
The bill passed the United States House of Representatives on June
12th by a 416-0 vote and in the Senate by unanimous consent on July
16th.
The original co-sponsors for this landmark bi-partisan legislation
include Congresswoman Pryce, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and
Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Norm Coleman (R-MN).

The bill authorizes $30 million annually over five years, providing funding for collaborative pediatric cancer clinical trials research, to create a population-based national childhood cancer database, and to further improve public awareness and communication regarding available treatment and research for children with cancer and their families.

"The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act allows for translation of the very
best research discoveries into clinical evaluation and practice, in
order to improve the cure rates for all children with cancer," stated
Gregory Reaman, MD, Chair of the Children's Oncology Group.
"On behalf of my colleagues in the Children's Oncology Group and the
children with cancer and their families who are our partners in
clinical research, we thank President Bush and our nation's leaders.
Only research cures childhood cancer."
CureSearch exclusively supports the life-saving research of the
Children's Oncology Group, the world's premier cancer research
collaborative. Treating 90 percent of children with cancer, the
Children's Oncology Group includes more than 5,000 experts in
childhood cancer research and treatment, located at more than 200
leading children's and university hospitals across North America.
At the signing, Pryce stated that "for any child or family who is
embroiled in the fight against pediatric cancer, today is a cause for
celebration and renewed hope. At long last, we will be harnessing our
nation's vast resources and expertise to put an end to a scourge that
takes the lives of more than 2,300 children every year."
"We are grateful to the President and to the United States Congress
for their leadership in making the cure for childhood cancer an urgent
national priority," stated Stacy Pagos Haller, Executive Director of
CureSearch. "Passage of this historic bill gives attention and support
that is long overdue and much needed."

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