The first-ever detailed examination of a country's investment in research on childhood and adolescent cancers was released today by the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (CCRA) and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership).
The study identified the research focused on childhood and adolescent cancers from among 7,203 peer-reviewed cancer research projects funded by governmental and voluntary sector (non-profit, non-government) organizations between 2005 and 2007, and categorized the investment by research areas and types of cancer.
"Cancers affecting children and adolescents are different from the ones found in adults. Research on how these cancers begin and what causes them within this population is key to advancing our understanding of how to prevent or stop the disease in young people," explains Dr. Paul Grundy, Chair of C17, which represents all the Canadian childhood cancer and blood disorder centers, Director of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Palliative Care at Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, and advisor on this report.
"Due to significant developments in treatment, 80% of children will survive at least five years after receiving a cancer diagnosis. This means there are more survivors of childhood cancers living with the long-term effects of their cancer or the treatment they received. Research on how to reduce these adverse effects and help the growing number of survivors and families cope is vital."
For the period studied, research investment focused on understanding the causes of childhood and adolescent cancer, and was proportionately double that observed for cancer overall. Research investment in childhood and adolescent cancer was also proportionately higher in areas focused on patient care and survivorship, and the biology of cancer, particularly how genes help turn normal cells into cancer cells. There was no research investment in cancer prevention interventions directed at children and adolescents, which may reflect that relatively little is known about the causes of cancer in this age group.
From 2005 to 2007, a total of $38.1M was invested in research on childhood and adolescent cancers. This translated into $1 of every $30 invested in peer-reviewed cancer research funded by governmental and voluntary sector organizations during the period. The annual investment rose from $12.4M in 2005 to $13.2M in 2007, representing a 6.5% increase. For the same period, the annual research investment for all cancers increased by 10.5% from $364.3M in 2005 to $402.4M in 2007.
Investment in Research on Childhood and Adolescent Cancers, 2005-2007 is a special section of Cancer Research Investment in Canada, 2007, an annual survey produced by the CCRA, an alliance of cancer research funding organizations and affiliated partners working together to enhance the overall state of cancer research funding in Canada through improved communication, cooperation and coordination.