Pryce, Cancer Leaders Celebrate New Resolve in
Battle against Pediatric Cancer
Washington, DC-- Today, House Cancer Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH) joined a broad array of pediatric cancer survivors, their families, oncologists and advocates to commemorate Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and celebrate Tuesday’s House passage of a resolution (H.Res.470) affirming Congress’s commitment to increasing federal support in the fight against pediatric cancer. In a bipartisan display of resolve, participants in the event sought to elevate awareness of the nation’s number one killer of children, and highlight both the successes and shortcomings in our progress in eradicating the disease.
In her remarks, Pryce thanked the individuals and groups who participated in September’s awareness events, and noted a change in tide of public perception of the disease. Said Pryce, “I believe there has been a palpable change in how we perceive cancer – an unprecedented and growing momentum in our belief that we can eradicate the disease, and spare future generations of children from having to endure the misery that cancer brings.”
Thanks, in no small part, to increased awareness and advocacy, a diagnosis of pediatric cancer is no longer the death sentence it once was. While the incidence of cancer in children has increased slightly over the past 30 years, the mortality rate has declined dramatically for many childhood cancers. The combined 5-year survival rates for all childhood cancers improved from 56% in the 1970s to 79% in the 1990s.
Pryce drew attention to the disparity in funding for pediatric cancer relative to other diseases. Said Pryce, “Every year, cancer kills more children than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS, combined. Yet, funding levels for pediatric cancer research and treatment lags significantly behind these other diseases. Clearly, a compassionate society, and one so abundant and revolutionary in research and advancement, can and must place a higher priority on a disease that will take 12,000 young lives from us.” To help rectify this disparity, earlier this year, Pryce authored H.R. 1553, the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, legislation increasing funding for pediatric cancer research and treatment.
Pryce highlighted the significance of the House vote on Tuesday that defined Congress’s objectives in the battle against childhood cancer. Pryce said of the House-passed resolution, “It is a promise to the children and families fighting cancer that we can envision a world absolved of their heartaches. It is a belief that we are approaching a point in time where medical advancement – coupled with a new resolve among researchers, advocates, and public officials – will one day eradicate pediatric cancer.”
Pryce is a Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus. She is the author of the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, the Access to Cancer Therapies Act, the Compassionate Care for Children Act, and the Access to Cancer Clinical Trials Act. For her efforts and advocacy in the fight against cancer, Pryce was awarded the Congressional Leadership Award by the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers (ADCC), and was recently inducted into the James Leadership Society of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 2006, Pryce was awarded the Distinguished Advocacy Award from the American Cancer Society (ACS) – the ACS’s highest honor. She has also received national awards from the Komen Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and CureSearch – the advocacy arm of the Children’s Oncology Group.
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