WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. joined President Donald J. Trump at the White House on Tuesday as he signed into law the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act — bipartisan legislation she introduced with Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. in February.
“This is an important day for all those affected by childhood cancer — kids who are currently battling cancer, survivors, and their loved ones. Not only will this legislation help all of these individuals, but it will also improve future outcomes and survival rates, providing a new sense of hope and optimism for the future,” Capito said. “We’ve made great progress when it comes to improving cancer research and outcomes, and this legislation — now law — will help us continue and strengthen those efforts. This has been a true bipartisan effort and one that I am so proud to have helped lead with Senator Reed.”
While some progress has been made in pediatric cancer research — with deaths from childhood cancer declining by almost 70 percent over the last four decades — cancer is still the leading cause of death by disease past infancy among children in the United States, according to National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI estimates that nationwide, 10,380 children and adolescents up to 14 years of age were diagnosed with cancer within the last year, and 1,250 will die of the disease.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., applauded the signing of the act into law. This legislation, which Manchin co-sponsored, establishes a childhood cancer registry that improves the tracking of childhood cancers and expands funding opportunities to states seeking to improve the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors.
“In order to end childhood cancer once and for all we must invest and expand research opportunities and continue to help survivors overcome other health issues,” Manchin said. “The Childhood Cancer STAR Act is a step in the right direction for ground breaking cancer research and giving kids fighting cancer and their families the support they need. No cost is ever too high to help a child and I’m proud this legislation was signed into law today.”
The STAR Act will expand opportunities for childhood cancer research, improve efforts to identify and track childhood cancer incidences, and enhance the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors.