New Jersey has appropriated $10 million to advance pediatric cancer research and support the development of a children's cancer center at Rutgers Cancer Institute.
The funding, part of the state's fiscal year 2022 budget recently signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, backs the development of a pediatric cancer institute at New Brunswick, N.J.-based Rutgers Cancer Institute, part of RWJBarnabas Health. It's a notable allocation as less than 5 percent of federal cancer research funding currently goes toward pediatric cancer advancement, according to a July 27 news release.
"Cancer is the number one disease-related cause of death for children in America. In spite of that, currently, 29 states have no mention of childhood cancer in their state cancer action plan as identified by the American Childhood Cancer Organization's landscape analysis," said Ruth Hoffman, CEO of the American Childhood Cancer Organization, which advocated for the funding. "Most cancer research at the national and state level is dedicated to adult cancers."
The organization worked alongside Grace Aline, a 12-year-old brain cancer survivor who was treated at Rutgers Cancer Institute, to champion the funding.