DERRICK: SEPTEMBER IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. KRISTIN: CANCER IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN, TO TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC WHERE JOINED BY DR. CHRISTIAN, -- DR. CHRISTIAN CAPITINI. HE’S A PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGIST AT U.W. HEALTH IN MADISON. WHY IS THIS AWARENESS MONTH SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? >> IT’S A REMINDER THAT CHILDHOOD CANCER REMAINS THE LARGEST KILLER OF NONACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES FOR CHILDREN. AND IT’S REALLY UNDERFUNDED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. DERRICK: ONLY 5% OF FUNDING, FROM THE GOVERNMENT IS DEDICATED TO CANCER RESEARCH. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT NUMBER IS EXTREMELY LOW TO YOU, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RAISE THAT FIGURE? >> I THINK IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR BOTH PATIENTS AND ADVOCATES, FAMILIES TO TALK TO THEIR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN TO TALK ABOUT RAISING THAT MONEY. THE REASON IS THAT A LOT OF THE RESEARCH IN CHILDHOOD CANCER ENDS UP HAVING SECONDARY BENEFITS ON MANY DIFFERENT ADULT CANCERS. MANY OF THE EXCITING THERAPIES THAT WE HAVE SEEN COME TO CLINIC IN THE LAST DECADE, WERE DEVELOPED AND OPTIMIZED IN CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND THAT WORD -- WERE NOW FIGHTING THEY HAVE BENEFITS AND ADULTS. KRISTIN: OUR CHILDREN SHOULD VERY IS NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOP IN SIN TREATMENT OPTIONS? >> ONE DEVELOP AND I’VE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT IS SOMETHING CALLED CARTESIAN THERAPY. THIS THERAPY INVOLVES GENETICALLY ENGINEERING IMMUNE CELLS FROM CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA AND HELPING THEM RECOGNIZE AND DESTROY THEIR LEUKEMIA CELLS. THIS HAS BECOME A REALLY EXCITING OPTION FOR PATIENTS WHO HAVE FAILED CHEMOTHERAPY OR EVEN BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT. DERRICK: YOU MENTIONED THE RESEARCH AND HOW WIDE-RANGING IT IS, HELPING NOT JUST THE CHILDREN BUT IT CAN HELP ADULTS. WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH ARE WE STILL LOOKING FOR? >> WELL, THIS TREATMENT IN PARTICULAR WAS FDA APPROVED FIVE YEARS AGO FOR CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA AND THEN LATER WAS APPROVED FOR ADULTS WITH NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA. THAT WAS ONE EXAMPLE. ONE THING THE FIELD IS INTERESTED IN APPLYING THIS TECHNOLOGY OUTSIDE OF A BLOOD CANCERS AND LOOKING AT ITS IMPACT IN SOLID TUMORS, RANGING FROM A LONGER, BREAST, -- LUNG, BREAST, STATE CANCER. -- PROSTATE CANCER. KRISTIN: FOR PEOPLE NOT AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY A CHILD CANCER WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW OR DO THIS MONTH AND EVERY MONTH? >> WE WANT FOLKS TO REALIZE THAT WE ARE WORKING HARD TO DEVELOP THESE TO NOT JUST CURE CANCER BUT TO PREVENT A LOT OF THE LATE SIDE EFFECTS. IN GENERAL WE SEE THAT 80% OF CHILDREN CAN SURVIVE CANCER, BUT THEY GO ON TO HAVE THESE SIDE EFFECTS THAT PERSIST WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE, THAT COULD IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO GET ANOTHER JOB, AN ADVANCED DEGREE IN EDUCATION, AND TO HAVE ADDITIONAL TOXICITIES TO ORGAN IN THEIR BODY, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE CANCER THEY HAVE OTHER SIDE EFFECTS THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT THEY ARE OUR LIFELONG. WE HAVE THERAPIES THAT CAN REDUCE THAT RISK AND LEAD TO LONG-TERM OVERALL SURVIVAL. DERRICK: WE ALL CERTAINLY HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY.