National Pediatric Cancer Foundation Invites All to Rise Up for a Faster Cure During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation – the top-rated cancer charity according to Charity Navigator – invites all to rise up for a faster cure during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer and 43 families are faced with a future of uncertainty. Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease among children, yet only 4% of the billions of dollars spent annually on cancer research and treatment is directed toward pediatric cancer. Since 1980, fewer than 10 drugs have been developed for use in children with cancer, which means most children are treated with drugs designed specifically for adults, often leading to significant health-related issues later in life.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation is helping shine a light on pediatric cancer and the need for additional research and funding. The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation brings together leading doctors and researchers across the nation's top hospitals to fund research that fast-tracks less toxic, more targeted treatments by encouraging collaboration across hospitals.

Fueling a cure through partnerships:
The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation has announced new partnerships and research updates that are helping find a cure:

•     Biden Cancer Summit - On September 21, the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation joined Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden as they hosted the national Biden Cancer Summit in Washington, D.C. The Biden Cancer Initiative called upon public and private sector organizations to develop new innovative programs and partnerships. The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) is proud to embark on a (+/-) 2-year joint-effort to systematically address improvements for pediatric oncology (relapsed patient) treatments, guidelines and pathways driven through data and science. While formalized in the adult community, standards of care in pediatric oncology lag behind with resultant variation and possible recommendations for sub-optimal therapies instead of clinical trials. The outcome of this project will be to author evidence based, collaborative, treatment recommendations for "relapsed" pediatric and young adult oncology patients to ensure they receive the best diagnostic and therapeutic services to increase the chance of a positive outcome.
•     HOSA Partnership – HOSA-Future Health Professionals has partnered with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation for a two-year national service project. Over 235,000 middle, high school and college students in the organization will support pediatric cancer research by conducting awareness, fundraising and career pathway activities now through 2020.
•     Clinical trials – The NPCF supports unique and innovative research through a collaborative model (The Sunshine Project) with 22 hospitals nationwide. In addition to multiple translational and lab projects, the NPCF's current trials include a brain tumor immunotherapy trial at the University of Florida, a phase one trial addressing Ewing Sarcoma – LSD1 inhibitor, and a phase two trial studying the drug combination of Gemcitabine and Nab-Paclitaxel.

Five Ways to "Rise Up" for a Faster Cure:
The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation needs your help to fight pediatric cancer. It's easy to start. Here are five ways you can fight pediatric cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and all year round.

•     Brewing Funds the Cure — The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation has partnered with breweries across the United States to launch its "Brewing Funds the Cure" Campaign. Proceeds from the beer, dubbed "Rising Hope," will help fund pediatric cancer research. The "Rising Hope" recipe differs from brewery to brewery and is available at Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL), Brew Bus Brewing (Tampa, FL), Honolulu BeerWorks (Honolulu, HI), Flying Heart Brewery (Bossier City, LA), Remedy Brewing (Sioux Falls, SD), and Grey Sail Brewing (Westerly, RI). Find out more here.
•     Cooking Funds the Cure — Through the end of September at Metro Diner, diners can round-up their check to the nearest dollar in increments of $1, $2 and $5, or provide a custom amount to support the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Metro Diner has 62 locations nationwide and is known for serving serious diner food from an extensive menu of traditional diner dishes. Your restaurant can join the Cooking Funds the Cure by reaching out to cooking(at)nationalpcf(dot)org or you can sign up to participate as an individual in the online fundraising platform.
•     Fashion Funds the Cure — The NPCF will host its signature event "Fashion Funds the Cure" in 12 markets this coming year; see the full list of events, here. You can also purchase a bracelet from Lokai during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the company will donate $1 to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The yellow Lokai bracelets have helped raise over $80,000 to date.
•     Donate with a click — 43 children are diagnosed with cancer each day. Donate $43 during Childhood Cancer Awareness on the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation's website to join the fight. You can also set up a recurring or planned donation.
•     Fund the Cure your own way — From fishing outings, to haircuts, to active recreation, there are many ways to participate in a fundraiser to support the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Start planning, find an event or create your own fundraiser here.

About the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation:
The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer through the Sunshine Project, the Foundation's collaborative research initiative. By partnering with doctors and researchers from the country's top institutions, the Sunshine Project is fast-tracking the development of new drugs and therapies that will ultimately lead to the cure of childhood cancers. For more information, visit http://www.NationalPCF.org

SOURCE National Pediatric Cancer Foundation

Related Links

http://www.NationalPCF.org