Dana-Farber researchers have uncovered an alarming reality: children from low-income households are more likely to experience cancer relapse and face lower survival rates compared to their more privileged peers, despite receiving treatment on highly standardized clinical trials at top academic centers.
One in three children diagnosed with cancer lives in a low-income household or in a family that is concerned about meeting basic needs — such as providing housing, food, and transportation — while the child is receiving cancer treatment.
Dana-Faber is taking a novel approach to reducing these disparities by looking at poverty as if it were a “druggable” condition, something that can be specifically treated to improve the outcomes of children with cancer. This approach involves creative interventions designed to lessen financial strain. The aim is to ensure that every child with cancer benefits from treatment, regardless of ZIP code, socioeconomic status, gender, race, or ethnicity.
