Evan Sohn with Dr. Andrew Kung

We’ve written before about our Precision In Pediatrics program, which applies precision medicine to childhood cancer patients, and have some exciting news to share. This past Thursday, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from The Sohn Conference Foundation, Columbia University Medical Center unveiled The Sohn Precision Medicine Program. 

“Precision medicine is a critical new tool in the fight against pediatric cancer, but is often inaccessible due to cost,” said Evan Sohn, vice president of The Sohn Conference Foundation. “We are committed to not only supporting innovative pediatric cancer research that will produce life-saving treatment options, but also improving access to top-notch care for all children battling cancer through this program.”

The news was reported in GenomeWeb, an industry newsletter, and on NY1. Watch the clip below.

Here’s a key quote from the press release put out by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital:

“Genomic technologies have transformed our ability to understand the precise underpinnings of each patient’s cancer, and in many cases highlights the importance of tailoring cancer treatment to the patient’s genetic profile rather than to the tumor type alone,” said Andrew Kung, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at CUMC and pediatric oncologist at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. Dr. Kung is also the Robert and Ellen Kapito Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia. “These comprehensive analyses have produced life-saving results for our pediatric patients over the last two years. Unfortunately, these technologies are not routinely covered by insurance and remain out of reach for many. This support from The Sohn Conference Foundation ensures that New York City children battling high-risk cancers can benefit from this program even as we work to demonstrate to insurers the merits of such an approach.”

If you’re interested in more information about precision medicine for childhood cancer patients, please email us. If you would like to support this and our other innovative programs, you can make a donation here.