Texas Legislature created the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer prevention and cures in Texas
By State Rep. Todd Hunter
AUSTIN, Texas (Texas Insider Report) — According to the National Cancer Institute cancer death rates for children have declined, but remain the leading cause of death among children. That's one reason September is named as "National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month."
This awareness month was initiated to educate communities on the importance of early detection and intervention in the fight against childhood cancers. The most common types of cancer among children between 0 and 14 years old are leukemias, brain and central nervous system tumors, and lymphomas.
It is estimated that in 2022, approximately 10,470 children will be newly diagnosed with cancer under the age of 15, while 1,050 children will die. Although survival rates have improved through recent decades, survival rates vary based on the type of cancer and other factors.According to the American Cancer Society, unlike cancers in adults, lifestyle factors usually take many years to influence cancer risk, and they are not thought to play much of a role in childhood cancers. However, the causes of most childhood cancers are not fully known because the rarity of cancer in children and the difficulty to identify the contributing factors for cancer in children.
To ensure that children with cancer in Texas have access to state-of-the-art care, and understanding it is critically important to provide the resources, the Texas Legislature allocated additional resources towards cancer research and prevention programs.
For example, the Texas Legislature created the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in 2007, to grow and accelerate the potential for breakthroughs in cancer preventions and cancer cures in Texas. This year, CPRIT announced $138 million in new cancer research and prevention grants. These awards will expand access to clinical trials, incubate innovative cancer research, support the state’s emerging biotechnology industry, provide needed cancer screenings for underserved Texans, and recruit outstanding cancer researchers to Texas.
For more information about CPRIT, visit the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas website.
- To learn more about childhood cancer and the significance of this awareness month, please visit the National Cancer Institute.
- And, additional information is available by visiting the American Cancer Society-Cancer in Children.
If you would like to follow the Texas House of Representatives and learn more information on news, committees or other aspects of the legislative body, you can access its website at http://www.house.state.tx.us. The site features live streaming from the House Floor (when in Session,) Committee Hearings, as well as access to a number of other resources.
- You can also follow the Texas Senate at http://www.senate.state.tx.us
- The Texas Governor’s Official Website can be found at http://governor.state.tx.us
- If you'd like to review more information about the Texas State Legislature, visit the Texas Legislature Online.
As always, we're available at any time to assist you with questions, concerns, or comments. Your ideas and information are important forms of feedback, and I hope you'll not hesitate to contact my office.State Representative Todd Hunter serves the constituents of Texas House District 32, which is composed of Aransas County, and part of Nueces County.
