Children's Brain Tumor Network Joins Pediatric Care eXpansion for Data Sharing Initiative

Children's Brain Tumor Network and Pediatric Care eXpansion

On January 15, 2026, the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) announced that it will be participating in the Pediatric Care eXpansion (PCX) program. This initiative is backed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and aims to improve care for children with complex health conditions, starting with pediatric brain cancer, a leading cause of disease-related mortality in the U.S. This ambitious project has an investment of $50 million, with the goal of accelerating the transition from diagnosis to treatment.

The primary focus of the Pediatric Care eXpansion is to facilitate real-time, interoperable data sharing among pediatric hospitals throughout the United States. By becoming part of this program, CBTN intends to utilize its global research network and leverage an AI-driven data platform known as RADIANT (Real-time Analysis and Discovery in Integrated and Networked Technologies). This platform is designed to provide clinicians with actionable insights based on real-world patient experiences from various institutions, potentially leading to faster and more informed decision-making in pediatric care.

Dr. Phillip "Jay" Storm, Co-Founder of CBTN and Chief of Neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, highlighted the importance of this initiative. He stated, "Families navigating a pediatric brain tumor diagnosis often face delays caused not by lack of expertise, but by lack of access to information. The PCX program could revolutionize that reality by ensuring critical health data seamlessly follows a child through different care settings, allowing healthcare professionals to make quicker and more informed decisions."

To initiate this project, CBTN has an established network of over 35 data-sharing institutions that will act as the first implementation sites for the PCX initiative. Furthermore, through a strategic collaboration with the Children's Oncology Group, the program aims to broaden its reach to over 200 pediatric hospitals across the nation. This extensive expansion will ensure that the significant investment made into pediatric health care translates into tangible improvements in outcomes for children suffering from brain tumors and other complex diseases.

Dr. Adam Resnick, Scientific Director at CBTN and Co-Executive Director of the Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, emphasized the network's vision. He proclaimed, "CBTN exists to accelerate answers for children facing brain tumors. The PCX program amplifies our capacity to link scientific data with patient care across diverse health systems, ensuring that discoveries lead to enhanced outcomes for children everywhere."

The CBTN is a comprehensive global research initiative committed to speeding up discovery and enhancing health outcomes for children affected by brain tumors. By uniting leading medical institutions, researchers, clinicians, and families of patients, it has created the largest repository of pediatric brain tumor data and biospecimens worldwide. Their collaborative and open-science approach is revolutionizing the understanding and treatment of pediatric brain tumors.

For more information, visit CBTN's official website.

This collaborative spirit is exemplified through initiatives like PCX, which not only reinforces the importance of effective data sharing but also underscores the commitment to improving pediatric healthcare on a national scale.