Author: Jennifer Glover

Childhood Cancer Data Initiative Doubled to $100 Million

Posted on by Jennifer Glover

Key Takeaways:

  • The Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) budget has doubled from $50 million to $100 million annually, representing the largest single funding increase for pediatric cancer data research.
  • This funding will accelerate AI-powered research to improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for children with cancer nationwide and in Nevada.
  • The initiative prioritizes data sharing across hospitals to address the challenge that no single institution sees enough cases of rare pediatric cancers.
  • Families maintain full control over their child’s health information while contributing to research that benefits future patients.
  • Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is positioned to leverage this national investment to strengthen Nevada’s pediatric cancer research infrastructure.

On September 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a decision that will reshape the future of pediatric cancer research: the annual budget for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative will double from $50 million to $100 million.

For the families we serve at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation—more than 7,000 children each year facing cancer and complex medical conditions—this announcement represents not just a budget increase but a national commitment to treating childhood cancer with the urgency and innovation it demands.

Oncology

Why the CCDI Funding Increase Matters

Pediatric cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death for children in the United States. Its incidence has increased by more than 40% since 1975, yet childhood cancers remain significantly underfunded compared to adult cancers. With only around 15,000 new cases diagnosed annually across the entire country, these diseases are rare enough that no single hospital—not even the largest children’s research centers—sees enough patients to fully understand optimal treatments.

This is where the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative becomes transformational. As Dr. Anthony Letai, who was sworn in as NCI Director on September 29, 2025, stated: “I cannot think of a better way to begin my tenure at NCI than to redouble our efforts to support our youngest patients and their families facing rare leukemias and other cancers. We will not stop until childhood cancer is a thing of the past.”

What is the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative?

Established in 2019, the CCDI operates through the National Cancer Institute to collect, generate, and analyze comprehensive data on childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancers. The initiative addresses a fundamental challenge in pediatric oncology: the rarity of these diseases makes traditional research approaches inadequate.

By pooling de-identified patient data from hospitals and treatment centers nationwide, CCDI enables researchers to:

  • Identify patterns and treatment responses across thousands of cases rather than dozens
  • Understand which therapies work best for specific genetic subtypes of pediatric cancers
  • Reduce the time required to discover new treatment approaches
  • Improve long-term survivorship outcomes by tracking patients over years and decades
  • Focus research attention on ultra-rare pediatric cancers that previously lacked sufficient data

The initiative’s Molecular Characterization Initiative (MCI) already offers free comprehensive molecular testing for many pediatric cancers, providing immediate clinical insights for current patients while contributing de-identified results to benefit future research.

Oncology

How AI Technology Accelerates Pediatric Cancer Research

The doubled funding specifically targets the integration of artificial intelligence to maximize insights from electronic health records and clinical data. President Trump’s recent executive order, “Unlocking Cures for Pediatric Cancer with Artificial Intelligence,” establishes a framework for bringing private-sector AI expertise into partnership with federal research institutions.

AI technology offers several advantages in pediatric cancer research:

  • Pattern Recognition at Scale: Machine learning algorithms can analyze imaging, genetic data, and treatment outcomes across thousands of cases simultaneously, identifying subtle patterns that predict treatment response or complications before they occur.
  • Accelerated Clinical Trial Matching: AI can quickly match children to appropriate clinical trials based on their specific tumor characteristics, potentially opening access to promising new treatments sooner.
  • Predictive Analytics: Advanced algorithms can help oncologists anticipate side effects, complications, or disease progression, enabling proactive rather than reactive care.
  • Drug Discovery: AI can analyze molecular data to identify new therapeutic targets or predict which existing medications might be effective against specific pediatric cancer subtypes.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, NIH Director, emphasized this potential: “By doubling down on this mission with AI, we are ensuring that state-of-the-art science is being leveraged to provide answers about these diseases that would otherwise be out of reach.”

What This Means for Nevada Children and Families

Nevada faces unique challenges in pediatric cancer care. As one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, our healthcare infrastructure must expand rapidly to serve families across vast geographic distances—from Las Vegas to Reno to rural communities throughout the state.

The CCDI funding increase creates specific opportunities for Nevada:

Strengthened Data Infrastructure: Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is working to strengthen Nevada’s pediatric cancer and rare disease data infrastructure. The CCDI’s increased budget is an investment that supports our efforts to ensure Nevada children benefit from cutting-edge research.

Access to National Networks: Increased funding can enable states like Nevada to participate meaningfully in nationwide research collaborations, ensuring kids in Nevada have access to the same quality of care and clinical trial opportunities available at major research hospitals.

Improved Rural Access: AI-powered diagnostic tools and treatment planning systems can extend specialist expertise to community hospitals and rural areas, helping even more Nevada children receive optimal care closer to home.

Enhanced Molecular Testing: Programs like the MCI provide Nevada families with free access to comprehensive genetic analysis, informing more precise treatment decisions by geneticists and doctors.

Privacy Protections and Family Control

One concern families understandably raise about data initiatives involves privacy. The CCDI maintains strict protections:

  • All shared research data is de-identified, meaning personal information is removed before analysis
  • Parents and guardians retain full control over their child’s health information
  • Participation in data sharing for research purposes is voluntary
  • Data security follows federal health information privacy standards (HIPAA)
  • Consent processes clearly explain how information will be used and protected

Your child’s participation in advancing research never compromises their privacy or your family’s control over medical decisions.

How Cure 4 The Kids Foundation Will Support This National Investment

At Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, we recognize that national funding creates opportunities only when organizations like ours translate policy into practice. While this federal investment flows through the National Cancer Institute’s research programs, here’s how we’re working to ensure Nevada families benefit from the advances it creates:

Building Data Systems: Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is dedicated to continuously improving Nevada’s pediatric cancer and rare disease data infrastructure, enabling our state’s children to contribute to—and benefit from—national research advances funded through initiatives like CCDI.

Expanding Research Participation: We’re working to increase Nevada children’s enrollment in clinical trials and research studies, giving local families access to promising new treatments while contributing data that helps future patients.

Provider Education: We’re training our healthcare providers on new AI-powered diagnostic and treatment planning tools as they become available, ensuring consistent implementation across our state.

Advocacy for Equity: We’re actively advocating with federal agencies and policymakers to support ongoing and increased efforts to combat childhood cancer, including ensuring that funding reaches community hospitals and underserved populations, not just major research centers.

Family Support and Education: We’re committed to helping families understand how research advances might benefit their child’s specific situation, translating complex developments into practical information for treatment decisions.

Through our Charity Care Plan, we ensure that every family receives the same research-driven, high-quality care and treatment regardless of their financial situation. As new diagnostic tools and treatment options emerge from CCDI-funded research, we look forward to making them available to our patients.

A Call to Action: Building Nevada’s Pediatric Cancer Research Future

At Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, we’re proud to support data-driven efforts like CCDI that ensure every child’s experience contributes to better care for the next patient. But we cannot do this work alone.

We invite our community—healthcare partners, policymakers, researchers, donors, and families—to join us in building a stronger future for pediatric cancer research in Nevada. Whether through participating in research studies, advocating for continued investment in childhood cancer research, or donating to a child in need every contribution matters.

MAKE A DONATION TODAY

About the Author: Annette Logan-Parker brings over 30 years of experience in pediatric oncology to her role as Founder and Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. She has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for children with cancer and ensuring equitable access to cutting-edge treatments for all families.

Why Integrated Mental Health Support Matters for Nevada’s Kids

Posted on by Jennifer Glover

Key Takeaways:

  • Integrated behavioral health combines mental health support directly into medical care, eliminating the need for families to navigate multiple systems during already challenging times.
  • Children with serious medical conditions are 5 times more likely to experience anxiety or depression than their healthy peers according to Frontiers in Pediatrics, making emotional support essential to healing.
  • Cure 4 The Kids Foundation has served over 70,000 patients with embedded psychologists and social workers as part of on-site medical care teams.
  • Nevada ranks 51st nationally in youth mental health according to the MHA’s State of Mental Health in America 2025 report, highlighting the critical need for innovative care models that bring behavioral health directly to where children receive medical treatment.
  • Families report 40% better treatment adherence after receiving psychoeducation and integrated mental health care and experience significantly reduced emergency department visits.

Every day at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, I meet parents whose children are facing both medical and emotional battles. One common story we hear: a child undergoing chemotherapy has started struggling not just with nausea or fatigue, but with growing panic about needles, tears about missing friends’ birthday parties, and nightmares that started after their diagnosis.

A cancer diagnosis or chronic illness brings fear, isolation, anger, and grief. Parents already juggling treatment schedules and insurance calls suddenly find themselves trying to manage their child’s emotional crises alone. This is precisely why integrated behavioral health—having emotional and mental health support right where your child gets medical care—is absolutely crucial.

A whole-child, whole-family care approach is our philosophy and our promise to every family who walks through our doors. When we address emotional wellness and physical healing together, children engage more fully in their treatment and real transformations can happen. 

That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce Dr. Danielle Bello, our Director of Behavioral Health at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, as a new contributor to our blog. After a decade of transforming how we care for Nevada’s children, Dr. Bello brings invaluable insights about the intersection of medical and emotional healing.

Dr. Bello, Director of Behavioral Health at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation
Dr. Bello, Director of Behavioral Health at Cure 4 The Kids Foundaiton

The Challenge: When Pediatric Mental Health Care is Siloed

Dr. Bello puts it this way: Traditionally, a child receives cancer treatment at one facility, then parents must find different providers for behavioral health support—and all too often must be put on a waitlist. Travel and coordination is difficult. Insurance authorizations require separate processes. Medical records don’t always transfer seamlessly. With all these barriers, mental health support inevitably drops in priority. In the meantime, kids can grow increasingly anxious and fearful. 

And as Dr. Bello explains, emotional stress not only affects a child’s quality of life but also directly impacts physical recovery. Children who are hospitalized face significantly higher risks of developing new mental health conditions within a year of their stay: 

  • 7% of hospitalized children develop anxiety, depression, or trauma-related conditions (compared to 5% of non-hospitalized children)
  • 8% of children who spend time in the ICU develop a mental health condition
  • Children with non-complex chronic conditions face nearly 3 times the risk—approximately 15% develop new mental health diagnoses
  • Children with complex chronic diseases face the steepest odds at over 5 times the risk, meaning roughly 25% (1 in 4) will develop anxiety, depression, or trauma within a year

Studies also show that children experiencing untreated anxiety during medical treatment can have 28–61% longer hospital stays.

These statistics represent thousands of Nevada children who leave hospitals physically healing but emotionally wounded. Without integrated support from the start, a child’s medical journey can inadvertently create lasting psychological challenges.

“When medical and behavioral health teams work separately, critical information falls through the cracks. A child’s sudden medication non-compliance might stem from depression rather than defiance. Without integrated communication, these connections get missed, and children suffer. Behavioral health integration is essential for providing the comprehensive care every child deserves.”

Dr. Danielle Bello, Director of Behavioral Health at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, PH.D., ABPP-CN
Sue Waltermeyer with a patient
Sue Waltermeyer, Child Life Specialist at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

What Integrated Behavioral Health Care Looks Like at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

Our behavioral health team—neuropsychologists, social workers, and Child Life Specialists all led by Dr. Bello—doesn’t operate in isolation. They work right on the clinic floor alongside physicians and nurse practitioners, providing brief therapeutic interventions, safety and risk screenings, and assessments of cognitive, psychological, and social needs as part of the medical visit. The medical team knows they can easily call on the behavioral health team when they encounter a concern in a patient.  

In addition to in-clinic support, Dr. Bello provides neuropsychological evaluations through on-site physician referrals, assessing all areas of thinking and mood to make diagnoses and care recommendations. Unlike traditional settings where reports are simply submitted electronically, she communicates directly with physicians and nurse practitioners to discuss case nuances and provide immediate feedback. Child Life Specialists work with patients using techniques from medical play to Virtual Reality to increase a child’s understanding of their medical treatments, assist with pain management, and provide distraction. They ease patients’ fear and provide an environment that encourages play and interaction. 

Additionally, social workers at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation complete intakes of new patients and frequently follow up with established patients to assist with financial and social barriers to care. Social workers complete screenings to identify family stressors and connect them with appropriate services.

Comprehensive Pediatric Care Clinics: Treating the Whole Child, Not Just the Diagnosis

A unique aspect of our integrated behavioral health care model is our comprehensive clinic visits, focused around specific diagnoses like sickle cell disease or cancer survivorship. During these extended appointments, families meet with a full team—physician, nursing, pharmacy, dental, and behavioral health—addressing the whole patient and their quality of life. Dr. Bello often meets patients before their neuropsychological evaluation during these clinics, building rapport and answering questions, then follows up afterward to check status and determine additional needs.

Our team’s coordination is supported through weekly case conferences. When a pediatric oncologist notes increasing fatigue, our neuropsychologist might recognize treatment-related cognitive changes affecting school and mood. Together, they create synchronized care plans addressing the whole child, not just their diagnosis.

The measurable benefits we’ve seen speak volumes, and published studies exploring the value of integrated behavioral health care models corroborate our findings as well: 

That’s why we’re proud to say that at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, families don’t have to navigate behavioral health screening and assessment alone—our integrated team identifies mental health needs right alongside medical care. We then facilitate referrals for crisis response, hospitalization, or connection to community-based therapy services, ensuring families get the comprehensive care they need.

Pediatric Palliative Care

Overcoming Barriers to Child Mental Health Support in Nevada

Despite proven benefits, systemic challenges persist:

Yet opportunities for transformation exist throughout our state. The Las Vegas Medical District represents a perfect ground for innovative, supportive partnerships. Pilot programs like the TANF Mental Health Pilot demonstrating cost-effectiveness could reshape insurance coverage policies. And Nevada state legislators increasingly recognize that investing in integrated care reduces long-term healthcare costs while improving outcomes, committing nearly $200 million to overhaul our state’s behavioral health care system.

Cure 4 The Kids Foundation stands at the forefront of this advocacy, working with policymakers to expand access statewide and demonstrating how integrated models can transform pediatric care.

Dr. Bello sees systemic change on the horizon: “Healthcare systems nationwide are recognizing what we’ve known for years: treating the mind and body separately is outdated medicine. Nevada has the opportunity to lead by example, showing how integrated behavioral health transforms pediatric care. The barriers are real, but they’re not insurmountable when we work together toward this common goal.”

Expanding Access to Pediatric Therapy Across Las Vegas and Beyond

At Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, our commitment to integrated care grows stronger with each family we serve, ensuring no aspect of a child’s wellbeing gets overlooked. We strongly believe that the comprehensive approach we model at our organization represents healthcare’s future.

We invite you to join this transformation. Whether through financial support, advocacy for policy change, or simply sharing this message with others, you can help ensure every Nevada child receives the integrated care they deserve.

Ready to make a difference? Donate today to support our behavioral health program at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and help us continue building bridges between medical and emotional healing for Nevada’s children.

About the Author: Annette Logan-Parker brings over 30 years of experience in pediatric oncology to her role as Founder and Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. She has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for children with cancer and ensuring equitable access to cutting-edge treatments for all families.

About the Author: Dr. Danielle Bello brings over a decade of specialized experience in pediatric neuropsychology to her role as Director of Behavioral Health at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. A board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, she has dedicated her career to understanding how medical treatments affect children’s cognitive and emotional development, ensuring that every child receives comprehensive support for both their psychological and physical healing.

Pediatric Genetics in Nevada: Specialized and Rare Disease Care

Posted on by Jennifer Glover

Key Takeaways:

  • Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is Nevada’s only comprehensive pediatric genetics and rare disease center, offering families access to specialized care without leaving the state. 
  • Cure 4 The Kids Foundation now provides genetic testing that can diagnose rare conditions in as little as 5-7 days, gene therapy treatments for conditions like hemophilia B, and coordinated care across multiple pediatric specialties including oncology, hematology, rheumatology, and orthopedics. 
  • Led by Dr. Mark Nunes, Las Vegas’s first family geneticist, the program takes a collaborative approach—testing children alongside both parents while coordinating with specialists across numerous pediatric healthcare disciplines—to provide complete genetic insights and reproductive counseling. 
  • Families can access these services at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation through a referral from their primary care provider or pediatrician, with our 170+ member team providing support from diagnosis through treatment and beyond.

When a child faces a rare disease or genetic condition, families need medical expertise, hope, answers, and accessible care close to home. As Nevada’s premier destination for pediatric specialty care, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation recently expanded its services to include the region’s first comprehensive family genetics program.

A Revolutionary Approach to Family Genetics in Nevada

As Nevada’s first full-time practicing medical and molecular family geneticist, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation’s Dr. Mark Nunes doesn’t just focus on the affected child—he examines entire family units, testing trios of children and both parents to provide comprehensive genetic insights. Dr. Nunes brings this same comprehensive, collaborative approach to every case, combining genetic expertise with input from multiple specialists to reach accurate diagnoses. 

In one of his first cases at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, Dr. Nunes worked with a family whose fetus was diagnosed with a lethal skeletal dysplasia (a type of dwarfing condition a baby cannot survive)—and once born, this still appeared to be the case, as the newborn immediately needed to be put on a ventilator. Through x-ray analysis, advanced genetic testing, and collaboration with Cure 4 The Kids Foundation’s pediatric orthopedist Dr. David Stewart, Dr. Nunes was able to determine that the baby actually had a milder form of the condition and could survive into adulthood, completely changing the prognosis and giving the family hope where there had been despair.

The family genetics program at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation addresses three critical needs for families:

  1. It provides medical management guidance based on specific genetic diagnoses, ensuring children receive targeted, appropriate care. 
  2. It offers reproductive counseling, helping parents understand the likelihood of future children being affected by genetic conditions. 
  3. It ends the diagnostic odyssey—that exhausting, expensive journey from specialist to specialist seeking answers for a child’s unexplained symptoms.

Dr. Joseph Lasky, Medical Director at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is Committed to Providing World-Class Pediatric Care—Even into Adulthood

While Cure 4 The Kids Foundation initially focused on pediatric hematology and oncology, the organization has evolved into a comprehensive medical facility for children with complex conditions. Cure 4 The Kids Foundation now houses multiple specialties under one roof, including rheumatology for autoimmune conditions, orthopedic surgery, behavioral health services, physical therapy, and more. Integration like this means families don’t have to coordinate care across multiple facilities or struggle with communication between different providers.

Our organization’s commitment also extends beyond traditional pediatric age limits. Many genetic conditions and childhood cancers require specialized knowledge that adult providers may not possess. As our medical director Dr. Joseph Lasky explains, some patients continue receiving care into early adulthood because the pediatric specialists at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation have the deepest understanding of conditions that originated in childhood. This continuity of care proves invaluable for conditions like sickle cell disease, hemophilia, and various genetic disorders that require lifelong management.

Going Above and Beyond to Serve Families Facing Rare Diseases

Perhaps nowhere is Cure 4 The Kids Foundation’s innovative spirit more evident than in our embrace of cutting-edge treatments. The team recently administered a new, FDA-approved gene therapy to a 44-year-old patient with hemophilia B, a severe bleeding disorder that starts from birth and previously required IV factor replacement treatments multiple times per week. After successful administration of this groundbreaking gene therapy treatment, the patient has maintained normal factor levels for over a year without needing any additional IV treatments—a life-changing outcome that would have seemed like science fiction just a decade ago.

Cure 4 The Kids Foundation also provides access to investigational treatments not available elsewhere in Nevada. One local family with three boys affected by Niemann-Pick Type C, a rare storage disorder characterized by an inability of the body to transport cholesterol and other lipids inside of cells, previously traveled to Los Angeles every two weeks for spinal tap treatments provided as part of a medical study. Dr. Lasky and the staff at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation were able to get that study open at our facility, granting our providers access to that same medication and protocol. Now, Dr. Lasky administers these treatments locally, allowing the boys to maintain a better quality of life while receiving therapy that significantly slows disease progression.

The Power of Collaboration in Complex Genetic Cases

Modern pediatric medicine, especially in genetics and rare diseases, requires extensive collaboration between specialists. Dr. Nunes emphasizes how critical teamwork is in reaching accurate diagnoses and developing treatment plans. For example, radiologists provide crucial clues through imaging—such as a chest x-ray revealing a missing rib or an ultrasound highlighting a kidney malformation—that help geneticists narrow down potential diagnoses from thousands of possibilities to just a few.

Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and its providers maintain close relationships with many medical facilities. For instance, Dr. Nunes works very closely with the genetic counselor and pediatric cardiologists at Children’s Heart Center of Nevada, as many genetic conditions affect the heart. Similarly, neurologists frequently collaborate on cases involving intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and seizure disorders. All this multidisciplinary support ensures that children receive comprehensive care that addresses all aspects of their condition, not just isolated symptoms.

Navigating the Emotional Journey

Caring for children with serious medical conditions takes an emotional toll on everyone: patients, families, and medical professionals. That’s why Cure 4 The Kids Foundation has built a robust support system that includes child life specialists who help young patients and their siblings understand and cope with complex medical situations. We also have social workers who assist families in navigating the financial challenges that often accompany long-term medical care, from insurance issues to the impact on parents’ ability to work.

Dr. Nunes shared a profound insight with Denielle Chong on Beyond the Image about the emotional complexity of genetic diagnosis:

“You know, we have an interesting phenomenon that happens in genetics sometimes with this diagnostic odyssey, and that is that families have been looking for an answer and have been in this world of gray for six or seven years. All of a sudden, we give them an answer…and all of a sudden, it’s this big loss. You go from this world of gray to black and white, and it’s a grieving process for these families…It’s helpful for families to know they’re not alone and the sun will rise the next day.”

Dr. Mark Nunes, Director of Genetics, Genomics & Metabolism at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

After enduring so much uncertainty and hope for various outcomes, a definitive diagnosis can feel like a loss, even when it provides the answers families have been looking for. The team at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation understands these complex emotions and provides support through every stage of the journey.

Accessing Care at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

For families wondering if their child might benefit from the services and specialists at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, the path typically begins with a conversation with their pediatrician. Primary care providers play a crucial role in identifying when a child’s symptoms or developmental patterns warrant specialty evaluation. They track growth curves, monitor developmental milestones, and can recognize when something requires deeper investigation.

Once a referral is made, our experts—currently around 170 professionals—work together to provide comprehensive evaluation and care. From the eligibility specialists who help families navigate insurance coverage to the nurses providing direct patient care to the physicians developing treatment plans, every team member contributes to Cure 4 The Kids Foundation’s mission of filling healthcare gaps in Southern Nevada.

Building a Bright Future for Pediatric Healthcare in Nevada

Looking ahead, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation continues to expand based on our community’s needs. Our leadership, including Dr. Lasky, envisions a future where Nevada families won’t need to travel out of state for specialized treatments like certain types of radiation therapy or bone marrow transplantation. We are actively building partnerships with other healthcare organizations coming to the region, including plans for collaboration with a potential new children’s hospital.

Our organization’s growth isn’t just about adding services; it’s about maintaining excellence while expanding access. As Dr. Lasky emphasizes, our focus remains on providing the highest quality care while making that care as accessible as possible to all Nevada families who need it.

At Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, providing cutting-edge pediatric medical care is just part of what we do. We provide crucial services and support rooted not only in science but in empathy, treating families as whole units, understanding the emotional and practical challenges they face, and providing comprehensive support through some of life’s most difficult journeys. 

In a city known for entertainment and hospitality, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is proud to stand as a beacon of hope for families facing the unexpected, providing world-class pediatric specialty care right here in Las Vegas.

AI and Childhood Cancer: What Families Need to Know About the New Executive Order

Posted on by Jennifer Glover

Key Takeaways:

  • A new Executive Order directs federal funding and resources specifically toward using AI technology to improve pediatric cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
  • The Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) will receive an additional $50 million in annual funding for a total of $100 million per year, helping researchers identify patterns across thousands of cases nationwide.
  • Families should expect to see new pilot programs, research announcements, and technology partnerships at their treatment centers in the coming months.
  • Data privacy protections and equitable access remain top priorities as these technologies develop.
  • AI tools will support (not replace) your child’s oncologist, giving them better resources to personalize treatment.

Over my 30 years in pediatric oncology, I’ve watched families wrestle not only with cancer itself but with the overwhelming flood of medical terms, treatment decisions, unknowns, and policy changes that surround their child’s journey. Now, artificial intelligence in childhood cancer treatment has entered the conversation through a new Executive Order. Like the parents who sit across from our doctors every day, you might be asking: What does this really mean for my child?

As the founder and Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer for Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, I want to break down this policy in plain language and explain why it matters for the children and families we serve.

What the Executive Order Actually Means for Pediatric Cancer Families

Here is what September 30, 2025’s Executive Order “Unlocking Cures for Pediatric Cancer with Artificial Intelligence” means in practical terms:

Direct Federal Investment: The government is prioritizing AI tools specifically for pediatric cancer. This includes doubling the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative‘s current $50 million annual funding to a total of $100 million.

National Data Coordination: Researchers will combine information from hospitals across the country, helping identify treatment patterns that work best for specific types of childhood cancers. This is especially important since pediatric cancers are rare and no single hospital sees enough cases to understand the full picture.

Accelerated Research Partnerships: Universities, children’s hospitals, and technology companies will work together to develop AI-powered solutions faster than traditional research timelines allow.

Focus on Clinical Trial Access: AI will help match children to appropriate clinical trials more quickly and accurately, potentially opening doors to new treatments sooner.

Why This Executive Order Matters for Your Child’s Cancer Treatment

While this Executive Order opens exciting doors for improving pediatric cancer care through AI technology, we’re also closely monitoring important considerations to ensure these advances truly serve every family.

The Opportunities AI Brings to Pediatric Oncology

Smarter Pattern Recognition Across Cases: When your child’s oncologist reviews their case, they’re drawing on their experience with perhaps dozens or hundreds of similar cases. AI cancer diagnosis tools for children can analyze patterns across thousands of cases nationwide, potentially identifying subtle indicators that predict treatment response or complications before they occur.

Personalized Treatment Matching: Pediatric oncology AI can help doctors analyze your child’s specific tumor characteristics against a vast database of treatment outcomes, suggesting the most promising therapy combinations based on what’s worked for similar cases.

Faster, More Accurate Diagnosis: Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death for children between ages 1–19 in the United States. Early detection saves lives, but childhood cancers can be challenging to diagnose. AI technology can help radiologists spot concerning patterns in scans earlier and more consistently, potentially catching cancers when they’re most treatable.

The AI Challenges We’re Watching Carefully

Protecting Your Child’s Privacy: Your family’s medical information deserves the highest level of protection. While the Executive Order emphasizes privacy safeguards, we’re advocating for transparent consent processes that clearly explain how your child’s data will be used, who can access it, and how it’s protected from misuse.

Ensuring Every Child Benefits: Advanced AI tools shouldn’t be limited to major research hospitals. Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is advocating to ensure children treated at community hospitals and rural centers have equal access to pediatric AI innovations. Geography or insurance status should never determine whether a child benefits from top-quality care.

Maintaining Human Expertise: AI excels at processing data as FDA-regulated medical device software, but even the most advanced machine learning cannot replace the clinical judgment, experience, and compassion of your child’s oncology team. These tools must enhance, not diminish, the doctor-patient relationship that’s so crucial during cancer treatment.

What Changes Families Should Watch For

As this Executive Order takes effect, here’s what you might start seeing at your treatment center:

  • New consent forms asking permission to include your child’s de-identified data in national research databases
  • Pilot programs where AI assists with treatment planning or side effect prediction
  • Research announcements about AI-driven studies specifically focused on your child’s type of cancer
  • Technology partnerships between your hospital and universities or tech companies developing pediatric cancer solutions
  • Enhanced molecular testing through programs like the Molecular Characterization Initiative, providing free genetic analysis of tumors

If you notice these changes, don’t hesitate to ask your oncology team how they might benefit your child’s specific situation.

What is the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI)? 

The CCDI is a National Cancer Institute program that collects and shares comprehensive data on childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancers across the United States.

Why the CCDI matters for rare cancers: Childhood cancers affect around just 15,000 children in the United States annually. This means no single hospital sees enough cases to understand optimal treatments, making nationwide data sharing essential.

How the CCDI helps families:

  • Accelerates research discoveries by combining data from thousands of cases
  • Enables more precise treatments based on real-world outcomes
  • Expands focus on ultra-rare pediatric cancers that previously lacked research attention
  • Provides insights into long-term effects and survivorship

Key feature: The Molecular Characterization Initiative (MCI) offers free comprehensive molecular testing for many pediatric cancers, sharing de-identified results to benefit future patients while providing immediate insights for current treatment.

How Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is Advocating for Your Family

At Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, our focus remains simple and unchanged: We will continue to bring every possible tool to the fight against childhood cancer while making sure families feel informed and supported along the way. Every year, we care for over 7,000 children with cancer and complex medical conditions, ensuring through our Charity Care Plan that every family receives the same research-driven, high-quality care and treatment regardless of their financial situation.

This new Executive Order is promising, and that’s why we’re committed to:

  • Monitoring Implementation: We’re tracking how quickly and effectively these policies reach actual treatment centers, not just research institutions.
  • Advocating for Equity: We’re working with policymakers to ensure AI advances reach every child, regardless of their family’s income, location, or insurance coverage.
  • Protecting Privacy and Ethics: We’re pushing for the strongest possible data protection standards and clear, understandable consent processes for families.
  • Translating Complex Policies: We’ll continue breaking down technical developments into practical information families can use in treatment decisions.

A Message of Hope: What This Means for the Future

Policy changes don’t happen overnight. However, this Executive Order represents a powerful, national commitment to using some of the world’s most advanced technologies in the fight against childhood cancer.

Change takes time, but every step forward matters. The children we serve today will benefit from better diagnostic tools, more personalized treatments, and improved outcomes. The children diagnosed tomorrow will enter a system that’s learning and improving every day.

To stay updated on AI advances and how this Executive Order impacts your child’s care options, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media using the links below.

About the Author: Annette Logan-Parker brings over 30 years of experience in pediatric oncology to her role as Founder and Chief Advocacy & Innovation Officer at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. She has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for children with cancer and ensuring equitable access to cutting-edge treatments for all families.

1Care Kids & LeapFrog Pediatric Home Care Reveal New Themed Exam Room at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation

Posted on by Jennifer Glover

LAS VEGAS – October 1, 2025 – Today, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation (C4K) debuted its newest themed patient exam room – an effort to bring a bit of fun to frequent medical appointments.

The room is made possible with funding from 1Care Kids and LeapFrog Pediatric Home Care. Patients who enter the room will be enveloped by bright colors and fun animal characters including an elephant, monkey, zebra, turtle and alligator.

Themed patient exam rooms are an important part of making multiple, but necessary, medical appointments more enjoyable for patients at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. These rooms offer patients an unexpected surprise when they walk in and are instantly surrounded by colorful, bright and inspirational images. This is especially important for patients who are seen multiple times a week in the clinic.

“Our themed exam rooms have become a favorite among our patients, many of whom look forward to experiencing each one during their visits,” said Annette Logan-Parker, Founder and Chief Innovation and Advocacy Officer at C4K. “We’re deeply grateful to 1 Care Kids and LeapFrog Pediatric Home Care for supporting our mission to bring joy and uplifting moments to children on difficult medical journeys.”

“At 1Care Kids and LeapFrog Pediatric Home Care, we believe in caring not only for children’s health, but also for their hearts, their families, and every precious moment,” said Eddie Belluomini, RN, Chief Operating Officer at 1Care Kids. “Our partnership with Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and this new themed exam room is one more way we can bring joy, encouragement and a smile to children and families when they need it most.”

More than 7,000 patients receive treatment each year at Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, Nevada’s only pediatric cancer and rare disease treatment center.