Childhood cancer

Each year almost 1,000 Australian children are diagnosed with childhood cancer and 5,600 are undergoing treatment.

For every ten children diagnosed, two will not survive; and those who do suffer long-term (sometimes life-long) health issues because current therapies can affect children’s growing bodies.

The development of more targeted and less toxic treatments for children with cancer is crucial to improve survival rates and reduce long-term treatment-related side effects.

In Australia, more than 1,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Cancer kills three children every week in Australia – more than any other disease.

Almost half of all children diagnosed with cancer in Australia are aged 0-4 years old.

Our childhood cancer research

Hudson Institute’s Childhood Cancer Program aims to revolutionise outcomes for children with cancer. A world leader in the field, Hudson Institute brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, and bioinformaticians to tackle some of the most challenging paediatric cancers.

Research focus

This program aims to improve survival rates and long-term health outcomes for children with cancer focusing on rare, low-survival, and difficult-to-treat cancers, including

Sarcomas
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
Aggressive brain tumours (high-grade gliomas and Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG))

Central to our mission is the recognition that children are not small adults – their developing bodies require specialised approaches that minimise the long-term impacts of cancer treatment. By developing targeted, less toxic treatments, we aim to enhance both treatment efficacy and quality of life for young patients.

Programs

Next Generation Precision Medicine program

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) sarcoma program

Childhood Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) program