Childhood Cancer

This new investment of $3.5 million brings the total granted by St. Baldrick’s for research since 2005 to more than $310 million.

The 9 grants include new funding for 3 new St. Baldrick’s Scholars, and 1 new International Scholar from Uganda. Also receiving new funding for projects already underway are 4 team science projects (Consortium grants) and 1 Strategic Initiative: the Pediatric Cancer Data Commons.

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Dr. Jeffrey Toretsky is a St. Baldrick’s researcher at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C. He explains what sarcoma is, how it’s diagnosed and treated, and how research is helping kids and adults with this type of cancer.

What is sarcoma?

A sarcoma is a bumpy tumor that occurs in the connective tissues (nerves, muscles and bones) anywhere in the body.

Sarcomas are rare, especially in young children. In kids between 10 and 20, sarcomas make up about 20-25% of childhood cancer diagnoses.

Sarcomas can start off being tiny lumps that you can’t feel. They can spread through the body, or metastasize, before they grow big enough to be seen.

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Especially striking increases have been noted for malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

In fact, the CDC reports that skin cancer is now the most common form of cancer in the U.S.

As the weather gets warmer and the sun gets hotter, it is important to learn how to best protect our children from solar radiation.

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For childhood cancer survivors, treatment helps them to live, but often that survival comes at a cost. But what are these costs? And how big is the problem? That’s what St. Baldrick’s Fellow Dr. Nickhill Bhakta wanted to figure out. And as it turns out, that data could be a lifesaver.

St. Baldrick’s Fellow Dr. Nickhill Bhakta works at his desk in St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. With a portion of the grant supported by the St. Baldrick’s Friends for Hope Fund, he developed a special statistical tool to help capture the true volume and complexity of chronic health conditions faced by childhood cancer survivors because of the long-term consequences of their treatment — something that hadn’t been done before. Photos courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

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With your continued support, pediatric cancer researchers are making discoveries to help improve treatment and provide hope for more cures. Five examples of research outcomes you’ve made possible are detailed below:

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When a patient is fighting cancer, a combination of two cancer treatments often works better than just one. Since August of 2019, another kind of combination has been at work to fight childhood cancers: A partnership between the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and the American Cancer Society.

Today we are excited to announce the first set of research projects to be supported by this partnership, totaling more than $2.8 million.

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This week is National Volunteer Week – a week dedicated to celebrating YOU, our tireless volunteers who have risen to the challenges of the past year. Even though the pandemic presented us with many obstacles, it also gave us new opportunities for creativity and ingenuity.

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The next generation of childhood cancer researchers are hard at work to create better futures for kids with cancer. Thanks to your fundraising and generosity there is hope, and the future is bright!

You – St. Baldrick’s donors and fundraising participants – make this possible. Thank you!

St. Baldrick’s Foundation Fellowship Awards support new pediatric oncology doctors for two to three years to conduct childhood cancer research while receiving advanced training under a mentor.

Take a look at the three stellar new 2021 Fellows whose research you’re supporting:

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With your help researchers continue to answer questions, seek out cures, and reduce long-term effects of treatment. Four exciting research outcomes you made possible are detailed below: 

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