Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH) and Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), pediatric cancer survivors, their families, health care professionals and cancer advocates to celebrate Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Tuesday’s passage of a resolution affirming Congress’s commitment to increasing federal support in the fight against pediatric cancer. Congressman Van Hollen released the following statement.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 470, a resolution supporting efforts to increase childhood cancer awareness, treatment, and research.
No child should have to experience and suffer the effects of cancer. And no parent should have to see their child suffer. I am proud to be working with Congresswoman Deborah Pryce on such an important issue. Together, we have introduced the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act would enhance and expand biomedical research programs in childhood cancer and establish a new fellowship program through the National Institute of Health (NIH) for pediatric cancer research. The bill would also increase informational and educational outreach to patients and families affected by pediatric cancer.
Over the last several years after a successful doubling of the NIH budget that ended in 2003, funding for NIH and the National Cancer Institute has been flat. As a result, many cancer clinical trials have had to be scaled back. The Children’s Oncology Group, which is headquartered in my congressional district, has had to put 20 new studies on hold and decrease enrollment of new clinical trials by 400 children. This is going in the wrong direction.
Thanks to the past funding in childhood cancer research, we know that 78 percent of childhood cancer patients overall are now able to survive. Forty years ago it was a much different story – the cure rates for children with cancer were lower than 10 percent. This shows that by funding biomedical research we can save lives. Congress must increase funding for NIH and NCI so that it can continue the groundbreaking, life-saving research that will lead to new cures and treatments.
So, I not only urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 470, but I also urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act and pass that much-needed legislation.