Children diagnosed with cancer to access life changing DNA sequencing

Any Australian child diagnosed with cancer will now be able to benefit from life changing DNA sequencing. This follows the successful $4 million Lions project with the Garvan Institute which mapped the genome of over 400 children with cancer to advance research and to guide personalised treatment.

The Zero Childhood Cancer Program (Zero) will expand to all Australian’s aged 0 to 18 years with cancer by the end of this year.

Childhood cancer advocate and Founding Chairman of the Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation (ALCCRF), Dr Joe Collins AM said “Childhood Cancer is a silent pandemic. Every year in Australia, almost 800 kids are diagnosed with cancers, many of them aggressive, hard to treat and with a high risk of mortality. Although the survival rates have improved greatly for some cancers, others still take a heavy toll on our young peoples’ lives.

“In 2015 Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation with Australia’s Garvan Institute mapped out a plan to map the genome of over 400 Children with cancer and provide personalised treatment. The program exceeded expectations, saving and changing the lives of young Australians.

“The Zero Childhood Cancer precision medicine program expanding to include all young Australians is an exciting step in eliminating childhood cancer.”

Professor David Eisenstat, Head of Department, Children’s Cancer Centre, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, commented “Zero is a truly national program, and all Australian children’s hospitals are playing a critical part. With Zero now expanding, every Australian child diagnosed with cancer, no matter where they live, will have the opportunity to benefit from precision medicine.”

Lions Australia CEO, Rob Oerlemans, added “This International Childhood Cancer Day Lions volunteers across Australia are so proud that the successful $4million Lions project Zero Childhood Cancer Program will expand to all Australian’s aged 0 to 18 years with cancer, by the end of this year.

“Over the past decade our Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation, with the help of our Lions volunteers and their communities, has raised over $12 million to fund vital research into Childhood Cancer. A big thank you to our Lions volunteers for your vision, commitment and financial wizadry! So many children and families have a better outcome because of you!”

Zero is a world-leading precision medicine program for children with cancer. Led by Children’s Cancer Institute and the Kids Cancer Centre at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, Zero includes all nine of Australia’s children’s hospitals together with 22 national and international research partners. 

The Zero Childhood Cancer clinical trial is sponsored by the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology and Oncology Group (ANZCHOG).

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