Spreading the Word About Childhood Cancer Treatment and Funding

Article Summary
- Pediatric cancer specialist Julio Barredo, M.D., is spreading awareness of childhood cancer research, treatment and funding.
- Dr. Barredo says most people don’t know that pediatric cancers have high cure rates.
- Despite the success, pediatric cancer funding is, in Dr. Barredo’s words, “dismal.”
Each year, thousands of children around the world are diagnosed with cancer. A cancer diagnosis reshapes the lives of entire families, yet many are unaware of the unique challenges young patients and their families face during and after treatment.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and pediatric cancer specialist Julio Barredo, M.D., director of children’s cancer programs at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is spreading awareness of childhood cancer research, treatment and funding.
He will participate in a panel discussion at the annual Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium Sept. 20 in Miami and will discuss research studies the organization funds. The symposium, developed for clinicians, researchers, students and families, fosters collaboration and information sharing among scientists.
“One thing people don’t know in general is that we can cure a high percentage of patients,” Dr. Barredo said.
Cancer Treatment for Children
The outlook is better for children with cancer than for adults. Many pediatric cancers respond to conventional treatment, and most childhood cancers evolve from failures in genetic developmental processes, Dr. Barredo explained. In adults, cancer can occur and be encouraged by environmental influences and lifestyle.
Additionally, pediatric treatment is well standardized and based on randomized, controlled trials.

“We have a 50-year track record of conducting national clinical trials in which most kids participate, regardless of where they are,” said Dr. Barredo.
Sylvester is one of 72 National Cancer Institute-designated centers, which allows access to federally funded clinical trials.
Compliance also factors into the impressive cure rates for childhood cancers.
“When you are in a clinical trial, you are sticking to a regimen. You are sticking to the timing, and parents are the biggest advocates for that,” said Dr. Barredo, adding that no parent has ever asked him if their child’s chemotherapy could wait for a couple of weeks.
That success notwithstanding, the impact of a cancer diagnosis is emotionally devastating for families, and researching funding continues to lag.
Inadequate Funding for Pediatric Cancer Research
Dr. Barredo noted that childhood cancer funding for research is “dismal.” Less than 4% of federal funding for cancer is dedicated to pediatric cancer.
“That would be a function of it being a rare disease,” he said. “But when you look at the fact that, if I treat a 5-year-old or a teenager with cancer and they are cured, that kid has another 60 or 70 years of productive life to give back to society, which is not the case if you are 70 or 80. The return on investment is incredible.”
Dr. Barredo’s advocacy for pediatric cancer research led to a significant donation to create Alex’s Place, Sylvester’s state-of-the-art facility that provides cancer care to pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients. Funding is critical, and Dr. Barredo works with local foundations such as Live Like Bella to generate cancer research grants.
Relationships with Patients
Twenty-one-year-old Braulio Hernandez, one of Dr. Barredo’s patients, is currently a senior at the University of Southern California, where he studies film and television production. At 16, the Miami resident was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

“Dr. Barredo really took the time to sit with my family and me and walk us through every step of the diagnosis and the treatment,” he said. “There was no rush in explaining to us what was going on at the cellular level, and what would go on in terms of treatment and what the prognosis is.”
Hernandez, after four cycles of chemotherapy, is now five years cancer-free and healthy. While he plans on a career in film and television production, he also volunteers for nonprofits such as Live Like Bella.
Dr. Barredo said some people are saddened when he discusses what he does for a living.
“I explain it’s the opposite,” he said. “Yes, we lose patients, but we can cure a good number, and we are able to develop long relationships with patients and their families. I have patients who are married and have kids, others who live in other parts of the world whom I get emails from.”
Treating children with cancer is far from a doom-and-gloom undertaking, Dr. Barredo explained.
“The upside, in my opinion, is great,” he said.
Get Involved
Contributing to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center fund fuels groundbreaking cancer research, advances life-saving treatments and provides world-class care to patients, offering hope and better outcomes for countless families.
For more information, please contact Jon Eden.
Tags: alex's place, cancer research, Dr. Julio C. Barredo, pediatric cancer, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center