2000s

Australia adopts molecular testing for childhood leukaemia, improving treatment precision.
Five-year survival rates for all childhood cancers are now at approximately 80% for Australian kids.

Col Reynolds and the Oncology Children’s Foundation (now named as The Kids’ Cancer Project) begins investing in research, with an initial $8 million investment that helps  to seed fund innovative research projects and the development of a Sydney-based gene therapy facility. It is the first time in Australia that a   facility of this kind has been created.

Targeted therapy with imatinib becomes standard care for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), revolutionising treatment with fewer side effects. Imatinib targets a fusion protein in a leukaemia cell, stopping cancerous cell growth. It is now the first course of treatment for CML.

Three years after Australian began formal tumour banking initiatives, the Oncology Children’s Foundation (now known as The Kids’ Cancer Project) invests $2.4 million over eight years to fund tumour banking. 
Tissue banking in childhood cancer enables secure storage of samples for future collaborative research, helping scientists better understand cancer biology and develop more effective treatments as new technologies and ideas emerge.

Australian researchers contribute to studies of high-dose chemotherapy for neuroblastoma, improving survival rates.