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Press Release

For Immediate Release
June 13, 2008
Contact: Sean C. Bonyun
(202) 225-3761

Upton Works to Fight Child Cancer, House Passes Bill to Expand Research
A signatory of the Cancer Promise, Upton has been a tireless advocate of increased funding for all cancer research

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph), a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee with jurisdiction over the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, applauded the unanimous House passage of legislation to fight childhood cancer.  The bipartisan Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007, H.R. 1553, targets federal resources and research against the cancers afflicting children nationwide and elevates our nation’s prioritization of pediatric cancer through additional funding, improved treatment, and more centralized, accessible information.  Earlier this year, Upton pressed the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, to devote greater resources to the nation’s cancer research programs.  The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, which passed the House by a vote of 416 to 0, sets aside $30 million each year for a five-year period. 

“We are united in our efforts to eradicate the number-one cause of death by disease for American children,” said Upton.  “It is heartbreaking that each year over 12,000 children are diagnosed with cancer and more than 2,000 of these young lives are tragically lost.   This important legislation will give a voice to the thousands of children and families in the nation who have been touched by childhood cancer and will give thousands of physicians, nurses and scientists the tools they need to find a cure for this terrible disease.  We have a responsibility in Congress to ensure that cancer research is a national priority and that we set aside the necessary resources to fight the disease.”

The legislation encourages and expands support for the biomedical research programs of the existing National Cancer Institute-designated multi-center infrastructure for pediatric cancer research.  It will also establish a population-based childhood cancer database to evaluate the incidence trends of childhood cancers and to enable the investigation of genetic epidemiology in order to identify causes and aid in the development of prevention strategies.  In addition, the legislation will provide informational services to patients and families affected by childhood cancer and encourages the development of a comprehensive online public information system on childhood cancers and services that are available to families.

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