Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008

Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008 - (Sec. 4) Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to continue to enhance, expand, and intensify pediatric cancer research and other activities related to pediatric cancer, including therapeutically applicable research to generate effective treatments, pediatric preclinical testing, and pediatric clinical trials through National Cancer Institute-supported pediatric cancer clinical trials groups and their member institutions. Encourages the Secretary to take into consideration the application of such research and other activities for minority, health disparity, and medically underserved communities.

Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to childhood cancer professional and direct service organizations for the expansion and widespread implementation of: (1) activities that provide information on treatment protocols to ensure early access to the best available therapies and clinical trials for pediatric cancers; (2) activities that provide available information on the late effects of pediatric cancer treatment to ensure access to necessary long-term medical and psychological care; and (3) direct resource services such as educational outreach for parents, information on school reentry and postsecondary education, and resource directories or referral services for financial assistance, psychological counseling, and other support services. Encourages the Secretary to take into consideration the extent to which an entity would use such grant for purposes of making activities and services available to minority, health disparity, and medically underserved communities. Requires the Secretary to develop and implement metrics-based performance measures to assess the effectiveness of activities funded under such grants. Requires any information made available pursuant to a grant to be: (1) culturally and linguistically appropriate as needed by patients and families affected by childhood cancer; and (2) approved by the Secretary.

Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013.

Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award a grant to enhance and expand infrastructure to track the epidemiology of pediatric cancer into a comprehensive nationwide registry of actual occurrences of pediatric cancer. Requires such registry to be updated to include an actual occurrence within weeks of the date of such occurrence. Subjects such registry to federal laws regarding records maintained on individuals, health information privacy regulations, informed consent regulations, and any other federal laws relating to the privacy of patient information.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov