Support the National Childhood Brain Tumor Prevention Network Act

Write or call your members of Congress today

Cancer is the number one disease killer of children, and brain tumors are the leading cause of death from cancer in children. Yet, almost nothing is known about what causes brain tumors in children and the few risk factors that have been identified explain only a small fraction of all cases. As a whole, children diagnosed with malignant brain tumors have only a 60 percent survival rate, and for many tumor types, much less than that. Most children who do survive have long-term health problems and disabilities due to the invasiveness of brain tumors, surgeries, and treatment. The cure rates for many pediatric brain tumors haven't improved in 20 years.

Mira's Movement is supporting the effort to pass landmark federal legislation aimed at discovering the causes of childhood brain tumors, with the ultimate goal of preventing and curing this devastating disease. The National Childhood Brain Tumor Prevention Network Act provides $25 million a year for five years for research into the epidemiology (causes) of brain tumors in children, with the ultimate goal of preventing and curing this tragic disease.

On May 24, 2011, the act was introduced in the House by Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA9) and Rob Bishop (R-UT1) and in the Senate by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and David Vitter (R-LA).

This first-of-its-kind legislation would provide $25 million a year for five years for research into the epidemiology (cause) of brain tumors in children. The act mandates the creation of a Pediatric Brain Tumor Prevention Network to provide grants and coordinate research to determine risk factors and causes of childhood brain tumors. The act would mandate the creation of "catchment" areas—groups of children diagnosed with brain tumors based on the region of the country in which they live. This creates larger groups of data to examine, providing statistically significant results, which have never before been available. Funded research will investigate:

•  environmental exposures
•  nutrition (what kinds of food, how many calories, etc.)
•  genetics (parents and child), epigenetics (what turns genes off or on)
•  blood taken at birth (has the child's DNA changed since birth)
•  type of brain tumor (pilocytic astrocytoma, ependymoma, etc.)
•  region where the child lives in comparison to other regions

It's important to let our Senators and Representatives know when they have supported legislation that's important to us. It can be the voice of a few that convinces them to get on board, but it's the voice of many that confirms it was important to their constituents.

If you are a constituent and would like to thank the bill's sponsors in the Senate (Schumer or Vitter), click here for an e-mail/call outline. To thank our House sponsors (Barbara Lee and Rob Bishop), click here for an e-mail/call outline.

Co-sponsors of the bill so far include:

Senate (S.1052):

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) 5/25/2011
Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ) 7/14/2011

*To thank your Senator for his/her support, click here.

House of Representatives (H.R.1970):

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (NY-22) 5/25/2011
Rep. Corrine Brown (FL-3) 5/25/2011
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) 6/1/2011
Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-7) 6/1/2011
Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) 6/2/2011
Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-21) 6/13/2011
Rep. James McGovern (MA-3) 6/13/2011
Rep. Janice Schakowsky (IL-9) 6/21/2011
Rep. Jackie Speier (CA-12) 6/21/2011
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH-10) 7/6/2011
Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2) 7/18/2011

*To thank your Representative for his/her support, click here.

How You Can Help
—Write Your Senators and Representatives and ask them to cosponsor this important bill
— Call Your Senators and Representative Using this Phone Call Outline

More information
— Facts about childhood brain tumors
— Read Senator Schumer's press release on this bill
— Read the full text of the legislation: S.1052 and H.R 1970 (they are matching bills)

ASK CONGRESS TO PASS THIS ACT!

Congress needs to hear your voice! If your Senator(s) and/or Representative aren't on the list above, please call, e-mail, or fax them and ask them to co-sponsor this bill.

The federal government has an essential role to play in funding research into the causes of this deadly and devastating disease. Let this be the year that the tide begins to change for children diagnosed with brain tumors.

Thank you for supporting children with brain tumors and their families!

 

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