September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time when pediatric cancer organizations, researchers, survivors, families, and all who have been impacted by childhood cancer share their stories and work to highlight the importance of continued research and advocacy.
In many countries, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15. Because childhood cancers account for under 1% of all cancers diagnosed each year, however, they are considered rare cancers.
“Like most rare diseases, research on childhood cancer is often underfunded, limiting progress in the development of new therapies. The reasoning is largely economic — because rare diseases offer little financial incentive, childhood cancer research often relies on philanthropy,” stated Dr. Claudia Benavente, associate professor in the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Dr. Benavente was inspired to research pediatric cancer in the beginning of her career: “My early work in childhood cancers included interactions with very young cancer patients and their families. The potential impact this work could have on their lives and their communities deeply moved me. The resilience of the children and the strength of their families has become a profound source of motivation.”
In the Benavente Lab, researchers work to develop novel therapeutic strategies to eradicate cancer. While the research interests of the team are varied, much of their focus centers on the study of rare childhood solid tumors.
“We are actively researching two childhood cancers: Retinoblastoma, a cancer of the developing retina that arises early in life and only affects children under the age of four, and osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer, which primarily affects adolescents and young adults. Both cancers frequently involve the genetic inactivation of the RB1 gene,” Dr. Benavente explained. “For decades, there has been no therapeutic intervention to counteract the effects of RB1 loss. However, we have identified a protein called UHRF1, which may be responsible for many of the harmful effects caused by the loss of RB1, and we are exploring novel ways to therapeutically target this vulnerability.”
Due to the limited resources available to support childhood cancer research, these diseases remain largely misunderstood. The work of researchers like Dr. Benavente is essential to ensuring children with cancer get the specialized treatment they need.
“Many childhood cancers still have poor survival rates or involve hash treatments that lead to long-term side effects. Children are not just smaller versions of adults — their bodies are different, still growing, with brains actively developing and learning,” she said. “This makes it essential to study these cancers with a unique perspective. Developing effective treatments for pediatric patients requires a focus not only on survival but also on long-term quality of life.”
