Coalition targets childhood cancers

Policy

A re-elected Coalition government will fund a $20 million program to identify the genetic causes of childhood cancers.

“The Zero Childhood Cancer Initiative will be focused on children with untreatable cancers,” said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Health Minister Sussan Ley in a statement. “The ultimate aim of this initiative is to push survival rates for childhood cancer up towards 100 per cent.”

The Coalition says it will establish a “national network” of clinical and research collaborators in every major city to oversee the initiative that will provide personalised treatment for children with high-risk cancers.

As part of the plan, children diagnosed with cancer will have a tissue sample taken to be analysed to determine the their individual genetic profile. This will then be applied to tailor the appropriate course of therapies or treatment.

Approximately 1,000 Australian children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Of these, around 200 are diagnosed with a cancer that has no cure or does not respond to current treatments.

The partnering institutions are:

  • Lady Cilento Children's Hospital (Queensland);
  • Children's Hospital Randwickand The Children's Hospital at Westmead (New South Wales);
  • Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide (South Australia);
  • Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne (Victoria); and
  • Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth (Western Australia).

The research centres are:

  • The University of Queensland, Diamantina Institute;
  • Children's Cancer Institute, Kids Research Institute, Westmead, Sydney;
  • South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide;
  • Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute and Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne; and
  • Centre for Childhood Cancer Research, Perth.