KCA Welcomes Childhood Cancer-Focused Affiliate Partner

The Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) welcomes Elevate Childhood Cancer Research and Advocacy (Elevate) as a new Affiliate Partner organization.

Elevate’s mission is to dramatically improve the lives of those diagnosed with childhood cancer from diagnosis through treatment, supporting their whole life journey whether through terminal illness or survivorship.

“Elevate is committed to ensuring that every child has access to precision medicine from the very first day of their diagnosis — something that is, unfortunately, far from the current reality. As families navigate these difficult decisions, we are here to provide the high-quality information they need to make the best choices for their child. I have personally been one of those parents, and it was overwhelming,” said Robyn Spoon, CEO of Elevate.

Elevate focuses on empowerment through support and education for families, advocating for policies and programs that prioritize improvements to childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment, and strategic investment in novel multi-stakeholder solutions that improve therapies for children with cancer.

While Elevate works to improve therapy development processes from a pan-cancer perspective, they recognize that each cancer type deserves its own voice. To support this, they empower patients, advocates, and caregivers to champion the needs of specific diagnoses. Elevate hosts two dedicated workgroups: one for Wilms tumor, a common pediatric kidney cancer, and another for rhabdomyosarcoma.

Kidney cancers that occur most frequently in children and adolescents include Wilms tumor, translocation RCC, and renal medullary carcinoma. Childhood kidney cancer can vary in aggressiveness but there is far less existing research on them. Connecting with knowledgeable care providers and accessing a variety of treatment options can be difficult for these patients and families.

KCA’s partnership with Elevate is timely because September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

“We’re thrilled to have a closer strategic relationship with Elevate,” said Gretchen E. Vaughan, KCA’s President and CEO. “Robyn is a visionary leader. With her passion at the helm, together we have the potential to offer more services, opportunities for education, and a greater level of awareness about pediatric kidney cancer to these children and families who are so deeply impacted.”

The KCA’s Affiliate Partners expands the support available for people impacted by kidney cancer and allows for strategic collaborations that will advance research, advocacy, and education.

Elevate joins six existing KCA Affiliate Partner organizations: the Chris “CJ” Johnson Foundation, the Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance, HLRCC Foundation, Joey’s Wings Foundation, the Judy Nicholson Kidney Cancer Foundation, and the Wilms Cancer Foundation.