CureSearch for Children's Cancer has a long history of supporting scientists conducting research to find cures for children's cancer.
Formally incorporated in 1987 as the Orion Medical Sciences Institute, CureSearch's role was to facilitate medical research to advance treatments for children's cancer on behalf of the Children's Cancer Study Group, a research collaborative funded by the National Cancer Institute. The organization was also charged with raising charitable funds for such research. In 1992, the organization's name was changed to National Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF) to more accurately reflect its national scope and focus on children's cancer.
In 2000, the Children's Cancer Study Group merged with three other children's research collaboratives, the Pediatric Oncology Group, Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Group, and the National Wilms Study Tumor Group. From these four legacy groups, the Children's Oncology Group (COG) was formed.
At the same time, NCCF became the federal grantee, fiscal and administrative agent, and fundraising and advocacy organization on behalf of the COG. Today, the COG remains the largest cooperative children's cancer research entity in the world, with more than 210 member hospitals and over 7,000 physicians, nurses and other researchers. In the United States, COG member hospitals treat 90% of children with cancer.
In January 2010, National Childhood Cancer Foundation adopted a national voluntary health model which included opening 8 offices across the nation and organizing grassroots fundraising events and activities to raise money for children's cancer research. To better align itself with a grassroots constituency and communicate the organization's mission through its name, NCCF became CureSearch for Children's Cancer.
During 2011-2012, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer ended its role as federal grantee, fiscal and administrative agent, and exclusive fundraising organization for the COG. This change coincided with a change in COG Principle Investigators and the Foundation’s expansion to fund research beyond clinical trials.
Today, CureSearch for Children's Cancer continues to fund clinical trials at hospitals across the country and supports basic and translational research so that scientists can understand all aspects of children's cancer, from its causes to its consequences.