(KCH) was awarded $2.5 million from the to support research efforts around reducing the morbidity, mortality and long-term complications of pediatric cancer. The grant will be used to hire researchers who will develop and lead robust research programs that focus on pediatric oncology in areas that include cancer predisposition, cancer genetics, cancer prevention, tumor biology, diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial support, and survivorship.
鈥淭his grant will allow the 91小黄车 to push forward innovative treatments from the lab to the patient bedside,鈥 said Chipper Griffith, III, MD, dean of the UK 91小黄车. 鈥淲ith this support, we can fuel breakthroughs that bring hope and healing to families across Kentucky who are facing cancer.鈥
Previous grants funded the development of , which evaluates patients for genetic predispositions that increase pediatric cancer risk. Through genetic testing, physicians can develop care plans to detect tumors early at a more treatable stage through personalized surveillance both for the child and for affected family members. In the four years since the project was launched, more than 250 patients have been sequenced and several examples of how discovering inherited cancer syndromes have been identified. The program has expanded to include Norton Children鈥檚 Hospital to make the project a state-wide effort.
鈥淜entucky is a national leader in providing support for children with cancer, and we are thrilled to be able to attract pediatric oncology researchers to the Commonwealth to reduce the burden of childhood cancer in our state,鈥 said John D鈥橭razio, MD, division chief of the division of pediatric oncology and hematology at KCH, who also serves as the vice chair of the KPCRF.
Recently, the and the were awarded for pediatric cancer patients and their families to assist housing and utility assistance, transportation assistance, medical equipment, nutritional supplements and an emergency fund for natural disasters based on social work-identified needs.
Kentucky ranks among the highest in pediatric cancer incidence rates in the country.
KCH serves as the subspecialty regional referral and pediatric care center for Central and Eastern Kentucky. The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology accrues between 70 and 80 new oncology cases a year.