42 USC 285 - Pediatric cancer research, awareness, and survivorship

View all text of Subpart 1 [§ 285 - § 285a-13]

§ 285a–11. Pediatric cancer research, awareness, and survivorship

(a) Children’s cancer biorepositories

(1) Award

(2) Use of fundsAmounts received under an award under paragraph (1) may be used to carry out the following:

(A) Collect and store high-quality, donated biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic information on children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer in the United States, focusing on children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer enrolled in clinical trials for whom current treatments are least effective. Activities under this subparagraph may include storage of biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic data at existing biorepositories supported by the National Cancer Institute, such as collected samples of both solid tumor cancer and paired samples.

(B) Maintain an interoperable, secure, and searchable database on stored biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic data from children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer for the purposes of research by scientists and qualified health care professionals.

(C) Establish and implement procedures for evaluating applications for access to such biospecimens and clinical and demographic data from researchers and other qualified health care professionals.

(D) Provide access to biospecimens and clinical and demographic data from children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer to researchers and qualified health care professionals for peer-reviewed research—

(i) consistent with the procedures established pursuant to subparagraph (C);

(ii) only to the extent permitted by applicable Federal and State law; and

in a manner that protects personal privacy to the extent required by applicable Federal and State privacy law, at minimum.

(3) No requirement

(4) Application; considerations

(A) Application

(B) Considerations

(5) Privacy protections and informed consent

(A) In generalThe Secretary may not make an award under paragraph (1) to an entity unless the Secretary ensures that such entity—

(i) collects biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic information only from participants who have given their informed consent in accordance with Federal and State law; and

(ii) protects personal privacy to the extent required by applicable Federal and State law, at minimum.

(B) Informed consent

(6) Guidelines and oversight

(7) Coordination

(8) Supplement not supplant

(9) ReportNot later than 4 years after January 5, 2023, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on—

(A) the number of biospecimens and corresponding clinical demographic data collected through the biospecimen research efforts supported under paragraph (1);

(B) the number of biospecimens and corresponding clinical demographic data requested for use by researchers;

(D) barriers experienced by researchers or health care professionals in accessing the biospecimens and corresponding clinical demographic data necessary for use in research; and

(E) recommendations with respect to improving the biospecimen and biorepository research efforts under this subsection.

(10) Report on researcher access to children’s cancer biorepository samplesNot later than 2 years after January 5, 2023, the Director of NIH shall—

(A) conduct a review of the procedures established under paragraph (2)(C) and other policies or procedures related to researcher access to such biospecimens to identify any opportunities to reduce administrative burden, consistent with paragraph (2)(D), in a manner that protects personal privacy to the extent required by applicable Federal and State privacy law, at a minimum; and

(B) submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the findings of the review under subparagraph (A) and whether the Director of NIH plans to make any changes to the policies or procedures considered in such review, based on such findings.

(11) DefinitionsFor purposes of this subsection:

(A) Award

(B) BiospecimenThe term “biospecimen” includes—

(i) solid tumor tissue or bone marrow;

(ii) normal or control tissue;

(iii) blood and plasma;

(iv) DNA and RNA extractions;

(v) familial DNA; and

(vi) any other sample relevant to cancer research, as required by the Secretary.

(i) date of diagnosis;

(ii) age at diagnosis;

(iii) the patient’s sex, race, ethnicity, and environmental exposures;

(iv) extent of disease at enrollment;

(v) site of metastases;

(vi) location of primary tumor coded;

(vii) histologic diagnosis;

(viii) tumor marker data when available;

(ix) treatment and outcome data;

(x) information related to specimen quality; and

(xi) any other applicable information required by the Secretary.

(b) Improving care for pediatric cancer survivors

(1) Research on pediatric cancer survivorshipThe Director of NIH, in coordination with ongoing research activities, may continue to conduct or support pediatric cancer survivorship research including in any of the following areas:

(A) Outcomes of pediatric cancer survivors, including within minority or other medically underserved populations and with respect to health disparities of such outcomes.

(B) Barriers to follow-up care for pediatric cancer survivors, including within minority or other medically underserved populations.

(C) The impact of relevant factors, which may include familial, socioeconomic, and other environmental factors, on treatment outcomes and survivorship.

(D) The development of indicators used for long-term follow-up and analysis of the late effects of cancer treatment for pediatric cancer survivors.

(E) The identification of, as applicable—

(i) risk factors associated with the late effects of cancer treatment;

(ii) predictors of adverse neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes; and

(iii) the molecular basis of long-term complications.

(F) The development of targeted interventions to reduce the burden of morbidity borne by cancer survivors in order to protect such cancer survivors from the late effects of cancer.

(2) Balanced approach

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 417E, as added Pub. L. 110–285, § 4(a), July 29, 2008, 122 Stat. 2629; amended Pub. L. 115–180, title I, §§ 101, 102(b), title II, § 202, June 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 1383, 1386, 1389; Pub. L. 117–350, § 2(a), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6262.)