For a parent, there is perhaps no greater fear than the prospect of losing a child to illness or accident. And it is the diagnosis of childhood cancer that has the greatest potential to catapult a remote fear into an unimaginable reality. Even though the outlook for children with cancer has improved, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in children. We are, however, entering an era of unprecedented discovery. The research tools that we now have to uncover the underlying basis of all childhood cancers are remarkably powerful and have the potential to fundamentally change how we treat children with these dreaded diseases.
John Maris, M.D. Chief, Division of Oncology and Director of the Center for Childhood Cancer at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia joins the show to talk about developments in childhood cancer research and the need for further funding.
Guest Info
John Maris, M.D. is Chief, Division of Oncology and Director of the Center for Childhood Cancer at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In addition to his administrative roles overseeing the Cancer Center and its robust cancer research program at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Maris is known internationally for his expertise in cancer genomics and his translational research program for the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, where he continues to investigate how cancer “ticks” to identify better therapies for his patients whose cancer has relapsed. Dr. Maris is also the chair of the Neuroblastoma Committee through Children’s Oncology Group, the national collaborative group for pediatric cancer research.
