Research on Childhood Cancers
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Blood Test Shows Promise for Detecting Genetic Changes in Brain TumorsPosted: November 5, 2018
A liquid biopsy blood test can detect DNA from brain tumors called diffuse midline gliomas, researchers have found. This minimally invasive test could be used to identify and follow molecular changes in children with these highly lethal brain tumors.
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Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: An OverviewUpdated: September 27, 2018
Health problems that develop years later as a result of a cancer treatment are known as late effects. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) was started in 1994 to better understand and address these late effects.
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Sodium Thiosulfate Prevents Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss in Some ChildrenPosted: July 13, 2018
The drug sodium thiosulfate can protect the hearing of children with cancer undergoing treatment with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, results from a new clinical trial show. The trial involved children with a form of liver cancer called hepatoblastoma.
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Trial Produces Practice-Changing Findings for Some Children, Young Adults with LeukemiaPosted: June 14, 2018
This NCI-funded Children’s Oncology Group trial tested the addition of nelarabine (Arranon) to standard treatment for children and young adults with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).
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Selumetinib Continues to Show Promise in Children with NF1Posted: June 8, 2018
In a phase 2 clinical trial, the investigational drug selumetinib shrank tumors in some children with the genetic syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The tumors, called neurofibromas, can cause pain, difficulty breathing or walking, and disfigurement.
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Some Children with Wilms Tumor Can Receive Less Therapy, Study SuggestsPosted: May 23, 2018
Results from an NCI-sponsored clinical trial may point to an important change in how some children with advanced Wilms tumor, a form of kidney cancer, are treated.
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Testing an Interactive Approach to Promote Exercise in Young Cancer SurvivorsPosted: March 6, 2018
An interactive website designed to promote physical activity among children and adolescents who have completed treatment for cancer may indeed help encourage them to get regular exercise, according to preliminary results from a pilot study.
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TARGET Study Finds Major Differences between Childhood and Adult AMLPosted: January 30, 2018
An NCI-funded study has found significant differences in the genetics of acute myeloid leukemia in younger and older patients. The findings could help guide the development of treatments tailored specifically for childhood AML.
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Dasatinib Approved by FDA for Some Children with Chronic Myelogenous LeukemiaPosted: November 30, 2017
On November 9, the FDA approved dasatinib (Sprycel®) for the treatment of children with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) whose cancer cells express the Philadelphia chromosome and whose disease is in a relatively early stage, known as the chronic phase.
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Kids First Pediatric Research Program Moves ForwardPosted: September 29, 2017
Progress continues to be made with the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Program, which is creating opportunities for investigators from different research communities to share resources and collaborate on research into childhood cancers and certain birth defects.
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CAR T-Cell Therapy Approved for Some Children and Young Adults with LeukemiaPosted: September 11, 2017
FDA has approved tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah™), a type of immunotherapy called CAR T-cell therapy, for some children and young adults with advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
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Crizotinib Shows Promise for Childhood CancersPosted: September 5, 2017
In a small clinical trial, the drug crizotinib shrank tumors in children with cancers that have alterations in the ALK gene.
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Studies Identify Potential Treatment Strategies for Pediatric DIPG Brain TumorsPosted: April 13, 2017
Two studies have identified proteins that drive growth of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) tumor cells. Blocking these targets with investigational drugs slowed tumor growth in animal models.
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New Mouse Model Closely Mimics Most Common Leukemia in InfantsPosted: December 30, 2016
Researchers have created a long-sought-after mouse model for an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia that occurs commonly in infants and that the researchers believe can accelerate the development of new therapies for the disease.
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Early-phase trial demonstrates shrinkage in pediatric neural tumorsPosted: December 28, 2016
In an early-phase clinical trial of a new oral drug, selumetinib, children with the common genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and plexiform neurofibromas, tumors of the peripheral nerves, tolerated selumetinib and, in most cases, responded to it with tumor shrinkage.
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TARGET Initiative Fueling Progress Against Childhood LeukemiaPosted: September 30, 2016
Research from TARGET, an NCI-funded program supporting genomic analyses of childhood cancers, has led to the launch of several clinical trials of targeted therapies to treat children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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The Impact and Future of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: An Interview with Greg Armstrong, M.D.Posted: September 14, 2016
Dr. Greg Armstrong of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study discusses this long-running study and its future.
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Toward Precision Therapy for Children with Cancer: An Interview with Dr. Javed KhanPosted: April 13, 2016
NCI’s Dr. Javed Khan discusses a new NCI clinical program and the promise and challenges of genome-guided therapy for children with cancer.
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Gene Fusion May Drive Rare Childhood Brain TumorPosted: February 22, 2016
Researchers have identified a genetic rearrangement that may drive the development of a rare benign brain tumor in children through three distinct biological mechanisms simultaneously.
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New Drug for Pediatric Neuroblastoma Shows Promise in Preclinical StudiesPosted: December 17, 2015
An international research team has identified a possible new treatment target for pediatric neuroblastoma and is planning an early-stage clinical trial of a drug that inhibits this target.
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Study Sheds Light on Role of Inherited Mutations in Childhood CancerPosted: December 8, 2015
In the most comprehensive study of its kind conducted to date, more than 8 percent of children with cancer were found to have inherited genetic mutations associated with a predisposition to the disease.
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For Some Children with Cancer, Genomic Information May Help Guide Treatment DecisionsPosted: September 18, 2015
Genomic methods, such as DNA sequencing, may help doctors manage the treatment of children and young adults with cancer.
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NCI Initiative to Speed Development of Childhood Cancer TherapiesPosted: September 8, 2015
NCI has awarded grants to five research teams to participate in its Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium, which is intended to help to prioritize which agents to pursue in pediatric clinical trials.
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Cancer Risk in Childhood Cancer Survivors Continues for DecadesPosted: August 31, 2015
Survivors of childhood cancer have an elevated risk of developing second, distinct cancers into their forties and beyond, according to a new study.
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Childhood Cancer Genomics Gaps and Opportunities: Identification of Research Priorities Workshop SummaryPosted: July 17, 2015
NCI convened a workshop of representative research teams that have been leaders in defining the genomic landscape of childhood cancers to discuss the influence of genomic discoveries on the future of childhood cancer research.
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Better Care for Children with Cancer Linked to Longer LifespansPosted: June 11, 2015
New data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study suggest that refinements in pediatric cancer treatment over the last few decades have helped to extend the lifespans of many survivors of childhood cancer.
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Treatment Prevents Chemotherapy Side Effects for Children with CancerPosted: May 13, 2015
Final results from a phase III randomized clinical trial show that addition of aprepitant to the anti-nausea drug ondansetron, with or without dexamethasone, effectively prevents chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric patients.
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Looking to the Future of Childhood Cancer ResearchPosted: March 31, 2015
NCI’s Dr. Malcolm Smith discusses future directions of childhood cancer research, including treatment directions and clinical trials.
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Genetic Studies Yield Clues to Treatment-Related Side Effects in Children with CancerPosted: February 26, 2015
Researchers have identified genetic variations in children with brain cancer that increased their risk of rapid hearing loss after treatment.
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International Childhood Cancer Cohort Consortium
An alliance of several large-scale prospective cohort studies of children to pool data and biospecimens and study various modifiable and genetic factors in relation to cancer risk.