Ian Kalvinskas Pediatric Liver Cancer Early Detection and Screening Act
The Ian Kalvinskas Pediatric Liver Cancer Early Detection and Screening Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to improve early detection and treatment of pediatric liver diseases. Named after a California teenager who died from liver cancer in 2025, the bill requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study examining federal initiatives for pediatric liver tumor detection, transplant wait-list mortality trends, and the cost-effectiveness of adding direct-bilirubin screening to newborn testing panels. It also establishes a public education program to raise awareness about early warning signs of pediatric liver disease and the safety of living liver donation. The bill emphasizes that pediatric liver tumors are among the fastest-rising childhood cancers, and early detection significantly improves survival rates for conditions like biliary atresia.
Key Points
- 1Requires a GAO study on federal initiatives for early detection and treatment of pediatric liver tumors, including healthcare provider education programs and research on risk factors
- 2Mandates examination of pediatric liver-transplant wait-list mortality data, broken down by geography, race, insurance status, diagnosis, and illness severity
- 3Directs analysis of the cost-effectiveness of adding direct-bilirubin screening to state newborn-screening panels to detect biliary atresia and other cholestatic liver diseases
- 4Establishes a public education program through the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop plain-language materials on early signs of pediatric liver disease and living liver donation
- 5Authorizes no additional funding, requiring implementation through existing Department of Health and Human Services resources and programs