Cancer is devastating at any age. Can you imagine having to experience such an awful disease at the age of three? Around this age, Greyson Banovich started having excruciating pain in his lower back. Neither he nor his family could understand. Finally, when it became disruptive in school, the Banoviches realized the pain was severe and needed attention as soon as possible.   Thankfully, Greyson’s cancer was deemed treatable through surgery. His recovery only required a short hospital stay post-treatment. To help lift Greyson’s spirits while in recovery, the nurses at his treatment facility would throw him glow stick parties. This tradition continued Saturday night, October 22, 2022, at NFCR’s Global Summit and Award Ceremonies for Cancer Research & Entrepreneurship. NFCR Board Member Lance Kawaguchi brought Greyson and his Mother, Katie, on stage to talk about their experience with cancer. That’s when Kawaguchi encouraged guests of the Summit to pull out their glow sticks and wave them around in Greyson’s honor. The 6-year-old, who can now live a relatively normal life, was overjoyed with the lights. Greyson even gathered as many glow sticks as he could hold to take back with him as the night wrapped. NFCR Board Member @LanceKawaguchi surprises our young cancer survivor guest, Greyson, with one of the things that brought him joy when going through treatment - a glow stick party! #youngcancersurvivors pic.twitter.com/h1deghWqnL— National Foundation for Cancer Research (@NFCR) October 23, 2022 The National Foundation for Cancer Research is grateful to the Banovich Family for attending this special event, sharing their story with us, and reminding us why funding cancer research is so critical. “Greyson’s story is a story of triumph. That isn’t always the case with cancer, but it is becoming the case more and more thanks to research.” – Katie Banovich, Cancer Advocate and Mother of Greyson. Make a gift to accelerate cancer research today to help fund the next generation of breakthroughs that can help save patient lives >>> WATCH to Hear Their Full Story: What other's are saying: Thank you ⁦@NFCR⁩ for supporting the cancer research that saves lives. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/bi1uisGzh7— Dr. Ron DePinho (@RonDePinho) October 23, 2022 @NFCR pic.twitter.com/jM4RgX1XNo— Nick Banovich (@NeBanovich) October 23, 2022 Read the Full Event Recap: RECAP – NFCR’s Global Summit and Award Ceremonies for Cancer Research & Entrepreneurship 2022

In February 2022, the Biden Administration announced the reigniting of the Cancer Moonshot program. This ambitious program was launched in 2016 with three key goals:  accelerating scientific discovery in cancer,  fostering greater collaboration, and  improving the sharing of data The 2022 reignition includes two new goals:  reducing the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years and  improving the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer Maryland's Cancer Moonshot Details Following the exciting reigniting, Governor Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. of Maryland announced a $216 million plan to boost funding for cancer treatment, prevention, and research in Maryland. Linking its efforts to the National Cancer Moonshot, Hogan appropriately refers to this plan as the Maryland Cancer Moonshot.  According to Hogan, the Maryland Cancer Moonshot will dramatically accelerate Maryland's efforts to detect, prevent, treat, and find a cure for cancer. Ultimately, the end goal is to save more lives. The initiative will make it easier to expand the early detection of cancer, screenings, and patient education. It will also provide advanced services for inpatient and outpatient care. How the Budget Will Be Spent Nearly half of the $216 million budget will help expand services provided by the University of Maryland Medical System's Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore. This project alone will benefit thousands of Marylanders whose lives are touched by cancer annually. A further $67M will be used to fully fund the construction of a Prince George's Comprehensive Cancer Center in Largo.  In addition to state-of-the-art cancer centers, Maryland Cancer Moonshot will utilize $25 million towards cancer research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University and a further $20.5 million for the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund for research on regenerative treatments. Hogan has also budgeted $2.5 million for the Maryland Tech Council. This funding will bolster talent development and outreach to students in underserved communities.  Spotlight on Pediatric Cancer While each aspect of the Maryland Cancer Moonshot will make significant strides in cancer research, one particular area excites experts in Maryland and worldwide. Maryland Cancer Moonshot includes $1 million to boost pediatric cancer research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Despite the progress in cancer research, children and adolescents who are cancer patients have only a few treatments designed explicitly for their cancer. The lack of development of pediatric cancer drugs results in pediatric oncologists using adult cancer drugs to treat their young patients. While these drugs may still yield positive results, many experts suggest that developing pediatric medicines could significantly improve outcomes.  National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) has funded pediatric cancer experts to explore such developments. The support from Maryland Cancer Moonshot means these researchers can utilize more resources to launch their discoveries.  Local Maryland NFCR-funded researcher Dr. Curt I Civin, for example, paved the way in bone marrow stem cell transplantation. Dr. Civin's commitment to finding innovative ways to treat cancer has saved thousands of lives, continuing with support from the AIM-HI Translational Research Initiative. This funding will also benefit experts worldwide by building upon existing research and initiating new findings [...]

Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children in the United States. Tragically, children with the rare cancer neuroblastoma often succumb to the disease despite aggressive treatment. That is until exciting new research showed that adding an experimental antibody to treatment shows promise to save the lives of children with this rare and aggressive cancer.  About Neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma is cancer that begins in immature nerve cells and primarily affects the brain of babies and children younger than five years old. Each year, about 800 children in the United States are diagnosed with neuroblastoma. More than half of these diagnoses in children are discovered after the cancer spreads and becomes high risk.  Once the cancer has spread, medical professionals must take aggressive measures. Traditionally, treatment starts with high-dose chemotherapy followed by surgery to remove any remaining tumors. Patients then undergo additional chemo, followed by a stem cell transplant to rebuild the immune system, and conclude with radiation.  New Neuroblastoma Treatment in Clinical Trials Recently, doctors have introduced another drug into the regime – Dinutuximab. This drug latches onto proteins on the surface of many neuroblastoma cells. This new treatment hopes to boost the child’s immune response to cancer cells that have survived the treatment. A third of patients treated with Dinutuximab were recurrence-free two years after treatment compared to 46% of those who received standard treatment alone. In this December 2021 study, however, researchers explored how a dose of a similar drug administered earlier might impact treatment outcomes. The team led a clinical trial that found a significant increase in survival rates, with 74% of children recurrence-free two years later. This experimental antibody shares similarities with Dinutuximab, but it was built specifically to limit pain, which was a significant side effect of similar treatments. Children’s Oncology Group will lead the series of trials to test this approach in newly diagnosed children. If approved, chemoimmunotherapy would become the standard therapy and significantly improve chances of curing high-risk neuroblastoma. Improving Brain Cancer Survival This new treatment trial highlights brain cancer treatment’s tremendous leaps and bounds. Families and patients with a once tragic diagnosis can now feel hopeful as new options continue to emerge. The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) helps accelerate these types of game-changing discoveries through GBM AGILE, a revolutionary clinical trial platform designed for patients battling the deadliest brain cancer, glioblastoma. As a founding member of GBM AGILE, NFCR has taken a leading role in this unprecedented global effort. With help from our generous supporters, rapid progress is happening. New trial sites are opening in the United States and worldwide, and patients are being enrolled and receiving the most promising treatments. Learn more about GBM AGILE or make a donation today to support this impactful initiative. Additional Reads You May Enjoy: Childhood Cancer Treatment by NFCR Partner Receives Fast Track Review and More Good News From the FDA Pediatric Cancer Facts and the Need for Improved Treatment GBM AGILE – Changing the Way We Fight Brain Cancer Stay connected with us! Receive our monthly e-newsletter and blogs featuring stories of inspiration, support resources, cancer prevention tips and more. Sign up here. Related Video: