On June 23, the Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy held a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of childhood cancer survivorship.
The purpose of the briefing was to promote the STAR Act (Cancer Survivorship Treatment Access and Research Act), a bipartisan bill with goals of maximizing childhood cancer survivors’ quality of life, moving childhood cancer research forward, and helping kids get access to life-saving treatments.
Dr. Monica Gramatges, a pediatric oncologist and researcher at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, was one of four physicians who spoke to congressional staffers on behalf of the STAR Act. She explained the benefits of the Passport for Care, a web-based clinical decision making tool for survivors and their caregivers, and how the use of this application can overcome many of the geographic, educational, and access barriers faced by survivors.