Bicameral, bipartisan legislation to better track and fight childhood cancer was reintroduced by U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Mike Kelly (R-PA), and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Monday.
The Survivorship, Treatment, Access and Research (STAR) Act, H.R. 820, would take steps to better identify and track childhood cancers, improve the quality of life for survivors, and find opportunities to expand research of therapeutics needed to treat them.
“I co-founded the Childhood Cancer Caucus because we need to do more in the fight against the number one killer of our children,” McCaul said. “When I was in elementary school, my friend lost his battle to this illness, and this tragedy continues to be a far too frequent occurrence for children across the nation. That is why we need to move legislation like the STAR Act through Congress this year, and prevent the worst outcomes from becoming a reality.”
Capito said advancements must continue to save the lives of those battling childhood cancers, a leading cause of death among children in the United States. The National Cancer Institute estimates that nationwide, 10,380 children up to 14 years of age were diagnosed with cancer within the last year and 1,250 will die of the disease.
“The Childhood Cancer STAR Act will contribute to new developments in research and treatment, and has the potential to positively impact tens of thousands of lives,” Capito added. “I’m proud to reintroduce this very important legislation for patients and families in West Virginia and across the country.”
The STAR Act would authorize the National Cancer Institute to expand ongoing efforts to collect biospecimens from childhood cancer patients enrolled in NCI-sponsored clinical trials to assist in the research and development of cures and treatments for childhood cancers.
The bill would also improve cancer surveillance by authorizing grants to state cancer registries to help identify and track instances of cancer, train reporters of childhood cancer cases, secure reporting infrastructure, and document instances of childhood cancer in a national registry.
“No parent should ever have to hear the words, ‘Your child has cancer,’” Kelly said. “The STAR Act will be a powerful tool in the fight to eradicate childhood cancer forever, and an ally to the survivors who have bravely fought and beat this horrible disease.”
The measure would also work to curb lingering effects of cancer in survivors like secondary cancer and organ damage. Research on the late effects of childhood cancers, including studies on insurance coverage and payment for care, would be stepped up under the bill.
Additionally, the STAR Act would require at least one pediatric oncologist on the National Cancer Advisory Board and pediatric cancer would be included in childhood health reporting requirements to ensure pediatric expertise at the National Institutes of Health.