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Aug 21, 2025, 09:46

Pratiti Bandopadhayay: Urgent Need to Sustain Funding for Pediatric Brain Tumor Trials

Pratiti (Mimi) Bandopadhayay, Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Waking up in Melbourne to some devastating news for the pediatric brain tumor community.

The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium – one of the essential multi-institute trials consortia bringing new treatments for children with brain tumors – has lost its ability to apply for the federal funding mechanism upon which it is structured. Without this funding, it cannot exist. This threatens access to clinical trials for children all across the USA who desperately need them.

Pediatric brain tumors are the LEADING causing of cancer related death for all children.

Those that survive are left with a lifetime of devastating side effects from the tumors and their treatments.

These children need MORE funding and MORE trials – not less.

The loss of PBTC will be beyond devastating.”

Later, adding to this post:

“Dear all, thanks so much for reaching out, asking for more details, and how you can help.

Essentially, the NCI has let PBTC leadership know that they will not issue a new RFA permitting them to apply for another cycle of funding.

The current PBTC funding expires March 31, 2026, and without funding PBTC will cease to exist then or shortly thereafter.

This means that trials underway may need to stop prematurely which is an absolute tragedy.

What can we all do:

Reach out to your local representatives/senate members to reinforce how essential it is to maintain funding for children battling all cancers, including brain tumors
We are waiting to hear more details regarding other mechanisms through which we can advocate for PBTC.”

More posts featuring Pratiti Bandopadhayay on OncoDaily.

cancer Harvard Medical School Neuro-Oncology OncoDaily Oncology PBTC PBTC funding Pediatric Brain Tumor Pratiti (Mimi) Bandopadhayay Pratiti Bandopadhayay The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium

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