Project 465880

Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in children and adolescents beyond the newborn period. In Canada, ~10,000 children are living with cancer and ~1500 new cases are diagnosed each year. While the overall survival rate in Canada approaches 82% for patients 0-19 years of age, prognosis for those with refractory, relapsed or metastatic disease is grim (overall survival <15%). The high cure rates have been achieved at the expense of considerable toxicity and decreased quality of life; more than 80% of adult survivors of childhood cancer will experience long-term sequalae. The vision for the Canadian Pediatric Cancer Consortium (CPCC) is that every Canadian child with cancer will have access to the latest scientific advances, diagnostic tools, therapies, and supportive care leading to better outcomes and quality of life. The consortium engages a network of clinicians, researchers, advocates and other stakeholders in the pediatric oncology landscape representing Canada's ethno-cultural, socioeconomic and geographic diversity. It will leverage research and clinical expertise across the breadth of cancer types from birth through adolescence and the transition into adulthood and survivorship. By the end of its initial two-year funding period, the CPCC will have created a harmonized national platform for pediatric-focused pre-clinical discovery and drug screening, a framework on which to build Canadian-led early phase clinical trials, an accelerated pathway for patient/family access to innovative technologies, therapies and care, a multi-stakeholder model for education, training and knowledge mobilization, and a network of robust national and international partnerships. These will establish the foundation on which to build long-term sustainability of the consortium and a national pediatric cancer strategy leading to transformative change in the delivery of cancer care to all Canadian children.