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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center launches SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program

NEW YORK –

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) on June 18 announced the SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program, a new initiative at MSK made possible by a transformative $25 million grant from SNF as part of its Global Health Initiative (GHI). With the SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program, MSK will bring its deep expertise in pediatric oncology to patients around the globe through new collaborations and peer exchanges with hospitals and healthcare providers worldwide.

The SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program aims to optimize outcomes for young patients globally by expanding clinical care expertise, educational and specialized training, and collaborative translational research. MSK experts will bring their vast clinical capabilities to institutions in other countries by facilitating access to primary diagnosis, treatment guidance, and state-of-the-art molecular testing. The program will incorporate peer consultations for clinicians, who will have input from a Global Disease Management Team encompassing pediatric oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons. The SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program will also serve as a hub for MSK to connect, train, and provide consultative feedback and resources through a range of specialized training and educational opportunities, including an SNF Fellowship in Global Health for a junior investigator. Lastly, as a worldwide leader in cancer research, MSK and the participating institutions will explore potential opportunities for translational research and clinical trials.

MSK Kids, the pediatric oncology program at MSK, is the largest pediatric oncology program in the United States and a center of excellence for the comprehensive treatment of children, teenagers, and young adults with cancer and blood disorders. As part of this new program, MSK will create new relationships and build on existing ones with current SNF GHI partners, including Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) Barcelona Children’s Hospital, where SNF supported the construction of the new SJD Pediatric Cancer Center; King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center in Jordan, where SNF is expanding access for children in the wider region; and Yorkshire Cancer Research in the United Kingdom where SNF is scaling an exercise-based treatment program to improve outcomes. The SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program will also support the development and future provision of pediatric cancer care at the SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki, one of three state-of-the-art hospitals in Greece currently in development as part of the GHI. As the SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program advances beyond the initial implementation phase, the network of institutions will expand with individually tailored partnerships.

“We can’t undo the heartbreak of childhood cancer, but we can contribute to making sure as many of the children who face it as possible have access to quality care,” said SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos. “It’s not enough for excellent cancer care for kids to exist somewhere; it must be available everywhere. We at SNF are very proud to support MSK, a global leader in the field, in spreading excellence through collaboration with our SNF partners and other organizations around the world.”

“We are profoundly grateful to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for this generous gift that will allow us to create a global pediatric oncology network with the goal of expanding access and transforming standard of care for pediatric cancer patients across the globe,” said Dr. Andrew Kung, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at MSK. “More than 250,000 children and adolescents globally are diagnosed with cancer each year. We are excited to collaborate with worldwide institutions as part of the SNF Global Pediatric Cancer Program to bring our clinical, educational, and research expertise to patients across the globe.”

The SNF GHI also includes the creation of collaborative global centers in other areas of medicine, namely the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute and the SNF Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research at The Rockefeller University.