Trump’s $500 million for childhood cancer? Scientists have ideas how to spend it

Any other cancer where more than three-quarters of patients are cured might seem to be a low research priority — compared to, say, cancers with an approximately 0 percent cure rate, such as adult glioblastoma. But childhood cancers are, well, childhood cancers.

“Today’s overall cure rate of 80 percent means than 1 in 5 children will die of their disease,” said Dr. James Downing, president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. “So there is still a lot of work to be done.”

The pediatric cancer community applauded President Trump’s State of the Union promise of an additional $500 million over the next 10 years to fund research into cures for more childhood cancers. It wasn’t just because scientists generally don’t turn down extra money, and it wasn’t because of,” developed by the Obama administration, identified.