$45,590 Awarded to UT Health San Antonio to Support Groundwork for Childhood Cancer Research

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (February 27, 2017) – Eighty percent of children who survive their cancer diagnosis will suffer from a severe or life-threatening condition as a result of their treatment. UT Health San Antonio received an infrastructure grant from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to help adolescents and young adults (AYA) who survive their cancer diagnosis,
live better.

Funding from St. Baldrick’s, totaling $45,590, will ensure that UT Health will be able to actively recruit AYAs with pediatric cancers on clinical trials, improve their survival and decrease disparities in outcomes.

“Traditionally, there has been a very low participation rate among adolescents and young adults in cancer clinical trials, said Anne-Marie Langevin, M.D., professor of pediatrics in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UT Health, and principal investigator of the grant. “This is thought to be the primary reason cancer survival rates have not improved for this group of patients. Our overall objective for this funding is to increase participation of young people with pediatric-type tumors in clinical trials that we offer through the Children’s Oncology Group and the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trial Network, by having one dedicated clinical research associate tasked with enrolling AYA patients.”

Infrastructure grants are awarded based on the need of the institution and its patients, anticipated results of the grant and local participation in St. Baldrick’s fundraising events and activities.

“It has been my honor to work with our planning committee each year. I had no idea that our events could have such a tremendous impact on childhood cancer research,” said Paul Harris, St. Baldrick’s volunteer event organizer of the local Alamo Beer Company event. “We’ve raised more than $425,000 over the past few years, and seeing grants like this gives us hope that we can help fund a cure!”

This series of grants, combined with the more than $22 million awarded in July, brings the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s funding total to $24.1 million awarded in 2016.

To learn how you can get involved visit www.StBaldricks.org, and connect with St. Baldrick’s on social media via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo.

About St. Baldrick’s Foundation
As the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation believes that kids are special and deserve to be treated that way. St. Baldrick’s funds are granted to some of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts who are working to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. Kids need treatments as unique as they are – and that starts with funding research just for them. Join us at StBaldricks.org to help support the best cancer treatments for kids.

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