Funding cutting-edge research into childhood cancers
Every day in the United States, 43 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer. This amounts to almost 16,000 annually in the US alone. Worldwide 250,000 children are affected by cancer annually. (REF: The Lancet Oncology).
Childhood cancer is an illness that devastates families and it is not rare. It is the number one disease killer of all children. Pediatric cancer kills more children than AIDS, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and congenital anomalies, combined.
Fighting this presents a problem on two fronts, the scale and frequency of affliction, and the variation between disease forms, locations, and the different possible treatment options.
Aiming to reduce the instances of pediatric cancer, provide more effective treatments, and give children affected back their childhood means we need constant research and progress to have a chance at overcoming this disease.
The battle against cancer in all its forms requires collaboration from medical institutes, government organizations, private institutions, research facilities, and more. We need to pool collective expertise, share advancements, and give everyone affected access to the more effective treatment for their condition.
The goal of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is to fund research that will ‘Power cures that reduce the percentage of children who perish from cancer until that number reaches zero.’
Who are the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation?
The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) was founded in 1982 by physicians, parents, and community leaders to fund cutting-edge research and emerging and breakthrough opportunities.
It is the goal of the foundation to give healthcare centers more weapons in the fight against childhood cancer with ‘aggressive treatments that attack cancer cells but leave the healthy cells, hope for long-term quality of life through safer therapies to fight cancer. Hope for new research, new protocols, new interventions.’
Since its inception, thanks to the ongoing hard work of physicians, researchers, volunteers, staff, and community partners, the foundation has raised over $51 Million for cancer research.
Work being done by organizations, such as the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and others, has contributed to drastic improvements in the treatment of childhood cancer.
Overall survival rates for pediatric cancer have risen from 10% to almost 85% over the last 40 years. The death rate from cancer has reduced more dramatically for children than any other age group.
However, there are many forms of childhood cancers that have not found effective treatments. Rare and aggressive cancers require organizations like Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation to fund research into, to get specialist attention that rarer cancer forms require.
The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation strives for optimal accountability and transparency to donors. They have a Platinum rating from GuideStar, which is the highest possible rating.
How can MUNCH support them?
As always, if selected, all donations from MUNCH transaction fees, staking rewards, and Charity Circle donations will be routed automatically and trustlessly directly to the charity. MUNCH is never in custody of the funds and the charity receives 100% of donations allotted to them.
How will these donations be used?
The ultimate goal of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is to contribute to the cure and prevent children from dying from childhood cancer.
To do this, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation identifies and invests in ‘leading-edge research that demonstrates the best hope for a cure to childhood cancer.’
The $51m raised for Pediatric Cancer Research has funded 211 Active Grants for Pediatric Cancer Research and more than 36 Research Institutions Funded.
PCRF is currently funding projects including:
- Pediatric Cancer Translational Research Program at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA
- Translational Research Program at Stanford University
- Basic Science Research at Seattle Children’s Hospital
- PCRF Laboratory Research Program at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital (MFCH) at NY Medical College
Funds generated by the MUNCH community will be used to continue supporting these grants and institutions as the foundation uses their expertise to continue to develop our understanding and treatment of all forms of childhood cancer.
If you would like to choose to support the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, cast your vote here to make the MUNCH charity partner.
Pitch video: https://youtu.be/iJFi-eK0TSk
