WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO beat childhood cancer?
Research is how we create new solutions that can save lives – in bigger ways than we ever imagined.
BE A PART OF THE CURE AND
double your impact.
Without more funding these stats won’t change. That’s where you can help! Continued research advances treatments for children and saves lives.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO beat childhood cancer?
Research is how we create new solutions that can save lives – in bigger ways than we ever imagined.
BE A PART OF THE CURE AND
double your impact.
Without more funding these stats won’t change. That’s where you can help! Continued research advances treatments for children and saves lives.
Real Stories. Real Impact.
Here’s how your dollars continue to advance research for pediatric cancer.
1971
In 1971, Senator and Mrs. Dick Gephardt received the news that their 17-month-old son, Matt, had a rare and aggressive cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. The location of the tumor and its size made it inoperable, leaving him a 10% chance of survival. But… (READ MORE)
CURE Childhood Cancer’s founder, Dr. Abdel Ragab, refused to give up. A research trial at another institution was yielding positive results by combining three chemotherapies and radiation. This groundbreaking chemo combination worked to stop the growth of the very aggressive tumor, and the radiation shrunk the tumor enough to allow surgeons to remove it.
“Dr. Ragab had an unwavering belief that childhood cancer can and will be conquered. It is this belief that saved my life, and I will spend the remainder of it working to make his vision a reality.”
Matt has served on CURE’s Board of Directors for six years, including two as board president. His leadership has been pivotal in guiding CURE’s funding of millions of dollars in groundbreaking research, similar to the trial that saved his life.
2017
Katie was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at the age of 15 after she found a bump on her chin. Her treatment plan included 48 weeks of a combination of chemotherapies and radiation – the same treatment that saved Matt’s life 45 years before… (READ MORE)
That treatment has become the standard of care for children with rhabdo, and survival rates have increased from 10% to over 70%. But Katie didn’t have it easy. Radiation left her unable to eat, drink, and talk, which left her malnourished. Katie persevered and finished treatment in 2018. While she has been cancer-free and thriving for over five years, she understands the need for research into safer and more effective cures.
“I know that I have a duty to live my life to the absolute fullest, spread awareness about childhood cancer, and raise funds for research so that other children can thrive like me!”
The research that saved Matt’s life led to Katie’s victory over cancer. She recently graduated college and works at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the hospital that treated her.
2024
Research done at the time of Matt’s treatment led to new, more effective treatment for Katie. Your support of CURE empowers us to continue the research that will make a life-changing difference for children and families… (READ MORE)
- 17,000+ kids in America are diagnosed with cancer each year
- Only 4% of federal cancer research funds are dedicated to childhood cancers
- Most children with cancer today are treated with drugs developed decades ago
Continued research is our best chance to cure childhood cancer.
Empowered by YOUR contributions, research funded by CURE is leading the way. We invest $6+ million annually in specific research projects at top pediatric centers nationwide, to:
- Deliver genetically-informed, “personalized” cancer solutions through precision medicine
- Conduct research that is likely to have a clinical or therapeutic impact within 2-3 years
- Solve recurrent and hard-to-treat cancers with no effective treatments
This research is the lifeblood of our efforts and helps CURE deliver cancer treatments that are:
- LESS TOXIC – harnessing natural immune responses vs. chemotherapies
- MORE EFFECTIVE – new therapies for childhood cancers that lack effective treatments today
- MORE PRECISE – targeting therapies to the specific genetics of each child’s cancer
