ALI ROGIN: Each year, close to 5,000 children# are diagnosed with brain tumors, which are the## leading cause of pediatric cancer related death.# Last month, the Trump administration announced it## would stop supporting a federally funded network# dedicated to researching these deadly cancers.

Starting in March 2026, the Pediatric Brain Tumor# Consortium will no longer receive funds from the## National Cancer Institute, which is the federal# government's principal agency for cancer research.

To discuss the implications of this, I'm joined# by Misha Mehta.

She is the president of the## Neev Kolte and Brave Ronil Foundation, which she# founded in honor of her late son who was diagnosed## with a rare brain tum in 2020.

And Dr.

Paul Graham# Fisher, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at## Stanford University and co-investigator in the# PBTC.

Thank you both so much for joining us.

First to you, Paul, what makes pediatric brain## tumors unique and challenging?

And why# are these clinical networks important?

DR.

PAUL GRAHAM FISHER, Stanford University:# They're challenging in that these are tumors, not## only in little kids, that are tumors of childhood,# but the brain is obviously a very tricky part## where sometimes surgery is very challenging.

And# then the effects of therapies, radiation, drugs,## other therapies, they have profound implications# on who the child is.

So that's one aspect.

The other aspect you highlighted that brain# tumors in children are really the hardest or## most difficult to cure in childhood.

And# we just don't have effective therapies.## That's why having investigational# groups, a consortium, is just so darn.

ALI ROGIN: And Paul, there's a lot that we# don't know about the future of this research.## But one thing we do know is that the network has# paused enrollment in its ongoing clinical trials.## What does that mean for families who are# waiting to get their kids into these trials?

PAUL GRAHAM FISHER: It means a lot of things# for families.

One is all new entries are on## hold or suspended, so no new entries# could be made on these trials.

There's## a little bit of uncertainty about# how these trials will be handled,## whether they'll be transitioned to# children's oncology group, in part.

ALI ROGIN: And that is another body that is run# by the National Cancer Institute, is that right?

PAUL GRAHAM FISHER: That's true.

Correct.

The# Children's Oncology group is also under the NCI,## the National Cancer Institute, but it will# also likely face some sort of budgetary cuts,## too.

It's not going to be exactly a one# for one.

This is going to be very hard## to families because there are families not only# who want to get their children on these trials,## but there'll be certain trials that now just are# not available.

They'll have to seek other sources,## other sites, other ways to try to find novel# treatments for very hard and refractory cancers.

ALI ROGIN: Misha Mehta, you represent# some of those families who are going## through this with a child.

Your# pin has your beautiful son Neev,## who was diagnosed and passed away# due to a pediatric brain tumor.

As a parent who's gone through this, what does# it mean to have access to trials like this?

DR.

MISHA MEHTA, Neev Kolte and Brave# Ronil Foundation: Yeah.

Thank you for## my son.

Neev participated in four phase one# clinical trials.

Right.

Similar to what the## consortium puts out for families like us,# for kids like Neev, they translate into## hope.

Right.

Then there is the standard of care# is radiation and a phase one clinical trial.

And if you're taking away hope, what are you# going to do?

You have no path forward.

This## is hope for us.

That's the only way we# get to save a chance to save our kids.

ALI ROGIN: You have been in touch with# leaders at the National Cancer Institute## about the future of the research# that's being done.

What is your## understanding and what have they told# you about why they're doing this now?

MISHA MEHTA: So the understanding is# that the consortiums is run out of 16## different hospitals.

When rolling under# the larger Children's Oncology group,## it will have access to about 40 more different# institutes that are part of that larger phase## clinical trials.

I think that idea sounds# good, but the point is that there is no clear## path forward as to what happens to kids# right now who are looking for treatment,## or I say looking for hope when they're diagnosed# or battling these deadly brain cancers.

ALI ROGIN: Paul, I want to put# to you the position that we're## hearing from the federal government on# this is that moving this work into a## larger body will be a more efficient# use of resources.

How do you see it?

PAUL GRAHAM FISHER: There may be some areas# where there's efficiency, but there's innately## in treating cancers that are very refractory.

With# the earliest treatments, phase one treatments,## there's going to be a lot of drugs that# sometimes or treatments that are not successful.

I think the other thing to point out is the# children's oncology group is a Wonderful## Group.

These 16 Centers of Excellence see# somewhere on the order of about a third to## up to half of all children with brain tumors# and in the United States.

So these are centers## that are extremely specialized, that bring a# lot more to the consortium in terms of their## science and their other early initiatives in# terms of translating science into treatments.

ALI ROGIN: And Misha, this conversation is# broader than this one consortium.

There are## many changes happening in the field of pediatric# brain tumor research, pediatric oncology more## broadly.

Tell me about what's happening# and how it's affecting your community.

MISHA MEHTA: As a parent advocate right# now, I am fighting for other kids that## come after my son Neev, and we've# seen this time and time again that## they've been sustained funding that has# been removed from pediatric cancer in## general in research.

Right.

Parents that# came before me advocated for the last 10## years to get the funding from NIH from 4# percent to 8 percent.

That's where were.

But repeated cuts that we are seeing that# is leading to decrease the funding.

Like Dr.## Fisher said, this is a hard disease to study.# It is hard for people to be convinced enough## to come and study this disease, but the rewards# are very little.

But the need is extraordinary.

So if you remove the funding around it, you're# going to lose the talent or train the next## round of scientists and doctors like Dr.

Fisher# into this field.

Right.

So it's like, for me,## it's a systematic issue where we are losing# piece by piece in an already a community that## has seen so little amount of infrastructure# that is coming into from federal funding.

ALI ROGIN: Misha Mehta, Dr.

Paul Fisher,# thank you both so much for your time.

MISHA MEHTA: Thank you.

PAUL GRAHAM FISHER: ..