The Cruelty Is the Point: Pediatric Cancer trials eliminated

By: Mary K. Canales, PhD, RN

In 2018 during Trump 1.0, Adam Serwer coined the phrase, “the cruelty is the point”, to capture the horrific actions of the administration; “the whirlwind of cruelty”, that, similar to today, is difficult to track. Of the many atrocities committed during the first few years of Trump 1.0, Serwer homes in on the mocking of Christine Blasey Ford, the brave sexual assault survivor who accused Brett Kavenaugh during his confirmation hearing of attempted rape when they were teenagers. While Kavanaugh was confirmed for a life-time appointment to the Supreme Court, Dr. Ford suffered the president’s mockery and that of his fans’ chants of “lock her up” during subsequent rallies. The symbiosis between Trump and his supporters was one of many incidents Serwer outlined that created “a spectacle of cruelty” throughout Trump 1.0. 

This “spectacle” has continued and is even more pronounced during the first months of Trump 2.0. The recent decision by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to eliminate funding for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC), a 26-year-old network dedicated to advancing clinical trials for children with brain tumors, sets a new standard for cruelty. The PBTC, founded in 1999, includes 15–16 academic centers and children’s hospitals across the U.S. and Canada that are conducting phase 1 and 2 trials for novel therapies, including CAR T-cell therapy for recurrent ependymoma and minimally invasive laser surgery for brain tumors. Despite this long, successful history, funding is slated to end March 2026.

The elimination of pediatric cancer brain research elevates the cruelty to stratospheric levels. While the NCI has committed to completing ongoing PBTC trials “wherever feasible and appropriate”, the PBTC has already instructed member sites to stop enrolling new patients in its six active trials due to uncertainty about future funding and the ability to complete long-term monitoring. 

Ira Dunkel, MD, a pediatric oncologist who chairs the consortium, is exploring whether to transfer PBTC trials to the Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network, where NCI plans to increase funding to support early phase trials of pediatric anti-cancer agents. However, he said some patients would likely lose access to the trials and the process would not “be a seamless transition”, according to his interview with the New York Times.

It is important to point out that these recent NIH pediatric cancer cuts are only the latest by the Republican party to halt pediatric cancer research, which was eliminated from the 2025 spending legislation at the last minute. Cut from the budget were pediatric cancer bills that would have reauthorized the priority review voucher, authorized FDA to direct companies to undertake pediatric cancer novel clinical trials of approved drugs and ensure that children insured through Medicaid could access treatment across state lines. Republicans have delivered pediatric cancer research a one-two punch.

When we consider populations that are our most precious, who can argue that children with brain cancer are at the top of the list. Yet these children, facing a death sentence without cancer trials, are only the latest group of Americans to suffer under this regime.  Serwer insightfully recognized that “the president’s ability to execute cruelty through word and deed makes them [his ardent supporters] euphoric.” While we face many challenges, and the cruelty seems unrelenting, Defend Public Health has created a community dedicated to shining a light on the Trump 2.0 “spectacle”, and through our combined efforts- letter writing to elected officials, opinion editorials across the nation, scientifically sound, evidence-based reports, and ongoing dialogue with the populations affected- we can slowly build hope and replace cruelty with compassion for all. If you are not a Defend Public Health member, join today. If you are a member but not engaged, there is a committee or State team to join. Become an active part of this new grassroots effort!