History
The CCF Committee
Advanced Technologies
Accomplishments
Support
Social Workers

History
The Children's Cancer Fund (CCF) was founded in January 1993 by a small group of doctors, nurses and parents. The fund's primary goal is to establish and foster research in childhood cancer as well as enrich the quality of life for children with cancer by improving clinical and support services. CCF is based at New York Medical College/Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York. In our 14th year our friends, family, volunteers and donors have increased to over 7,500.

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The CCF Committee
The CCF Committee is comprised of over 30 parents of children with cancer, their friends, physicians, nurses, and others in the healthcare community. The committee is dedicated to raising money to conduct research in childhood cancers and providing patient services for children and their families. Throughout the tireless work of these committee members, and extraordinary support from the community, more than $200,000 was raised in an effort to open the Children's Cancer Research Laboratory. Now CCF funds not only research projects through its lab at New York Medical College but at other cancer centers in the U.S. and Canada. See our audited financial statements on this web site.

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Advanced Technologies
This laboratory has become one of an important few, involved in the study of minimal residual disease in Acute Lymphobolastic Leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer. Although 70% of children with ALL are being cured, the single biggest obstacle to this cure has been relapse after a period of remission. Developing more sensitive methods to detect minimal residual disease will allow appropriate adjustments to treatment before relapse occurs. Advances in this detection methodology, through efforts at our facility, could be the key to renewed young lives. In addition to this, we have a new commitment to participate in research for Neuroblastoma, a form of pediatric cancer that has a very poor prognosis.

To cure all children with cancer, we need to understand why some malignancies do not respond to chemotherapy as well as others and how to overcome drug resistance shown by cancer cells. We need to develop sensitive methods to detect early signs of relapse. In addition, design more effective treatment for some cancers as well as certain types of infections that can cause serious illnesses in children receiving chemotherapy. These goals can be achieved only through scientific research. Although under the auspices of New York Medical College, the Children's Cancer Research Laboratory receives its budget solely through the Children's Cancer Fund and is dependent on the contributions it receives.

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Accomplishments
Our accomplishments include the opening of the Children's Cancer Treatment Center on the grounds of the Westchester Medical Center. The center provides children with a cheerful, friendly and non-threatening place everyday while they are undergoing chemotherapy. The children are treated on an outpatient basis so they can return to their familiar environment at home.

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Support
Our support continues with a host of new patient services. Due to the generosity of our supporters, CCF was able to hire a social worker to assist patients and their families as they deal with the devastation of diagnosis and the ongoing struggle of treatment. All of the children and their families are visited by a CCF member who has had experiences with childhood cancer. Each of these members of CCF have had a child with cancer.

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Social Workers
The Children's Cancer Fund Committee and our medical treatment staff have long recognized that the needs of patients and families go far beyond medical treatment. A diagnosis of cancer brings an abrupt change in the quality of life for a child and their family. Good comprehensive care also includes addressing the psycho-social needs of these families with both practical and compassionate support. Our patients come from varying cultural backgrounds and lifestyles and look to us for strategies that will enable them to deal with the impact of a cancer diagnosis on their lives.

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