A Major Setback for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research

In March, 2026, The National Cancer Institute will end funding for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC) — a network that has led groundbreaking early-phase clinical trials for children with brain tumors since 1999.

The PBTC has been the engine behind studies of novel therapies for the deadliest pediatric brain cancers — including diffuse midline glioma (DIPG), ependymoma, and other high-risk tumors with almost no effective treatments. With funding cuts, enrollment in several critical trials has already been halted, including CAR T-cell therapy for ependymoma and a new minimally invasive laser ablation trial, both of which give great hope to families who may otherwise have no treatment options.

The consortium, an association of 16 academic centers and children’s hospitals dedicated to trials of novel treatments for pediatric brain cancer, directed its members to stop enrolling new patients and informed members that the consortium would not be eligible to apply for funding beyond March 2026.

The tragedy lies not only in the immediate disruption to clinical trials, but also the loss of the collaborative ecosystem that drives discovery. Pediatric brain tumor research is already underfunded and faces enormous barriers; dismantling a proven infrastructure like the PBTC will slow progress, fragment efforts, and ultimately cost lives.

Dr. Souweidane was recently quoted in the New York Times stating, “The thing that’s intangible, that will never be able to be monitored, is the cross-fertilization, the collaboration, the idea making that happens in these groups.”

This is a tremendous step backward. Children with brain tumors deserve more trials, more collaboration, and more innovation — not less.

We urge our community of families, advocates, policymakers, and donors to raise their voices, demand solutions, and support efforts that keep this momentum alive.

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