$10 million pledged to help the fight against paediatric brain cancer

The Children’s Hospital Foundation today pledged up to $10 million over five years towards the Australian Brain Cancer Mission to fund vital paediatric brain cancer research.

Brain cancer claims the life of one Australian child every 11 days – more than any other disease. In fact, the disease tragically takes the lives of an equivalent of a classroom of children each year.

The Federal Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP welcomed the Children’s Hospital Foundation’s commitment at an event at the Centre for Children’s Health Research in Brisbane today.

The Children’s Health Research Alliance between Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service and the Children’s Hospital Foundation has identified brain cancer as a key priority area for research funding, and this investment will enable the Foundation to establish a virtual Centre for Child and Adolescent Brain Cancer Research.

The centre aligns with the Australian Brain Cancer Mission through:

• Establishing a dedicated centre for basic and clinical research in paediatric brain cancer
• Building domestic research talent through a contestable grant program for innovative research capable of supporting international clinical collaborations
• Supporting and expanding the Queensland Children’s Tumour Bank; and
• Investing in survivorship research to better understand the lifelong impact of a brain cancer diagnosis.

Despite advances in other types of childhood cancer, survival rates for brain cancer have made little progress over the past 30 years.

Children’s Hospital Foundation’s CEO, Rosie Simpson, said the funding was vital for improving outcomes for people battling this disease, which currently has survival rates as low as 20%.

“We are committed to delivering better outcomes for children and young people battling brain cancer by boosting investment into new research,” Ms Simpson said.

“It is a privilege to have the Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt, join us today for this announcement, and we look forward to collaborating with the significant partners who already committed to the Australian Brain Cancer Mission and Cancer Australia,” she said.

“The new centre provides an exciting opportunity for our community, business and philanthropic supporters and partners to come together and join us in the fight against paediatric brain cancer.”

For more information about the planned Centre for Child and Adolescent Brain Cancer Research contact info@childrens.org.au

To read more about how you can help children diagnosed with brain cancer,

read Slater’s story here.