All posts by CAC2

Welcome to 2024 and the 201st edition of the CAC2 Childhood Cancer Community News Digest! Assorted News from the Last Week: The FDA granted a Fast Track Designation to the development program of SONALA-001 in combination with the INSIGHTEC Exablate 4000 Type-2 Device for the treatment of patients with DIPG. Children who have survived cancer have twice the odds of developing prediabetes (a precursor to full-blown diabetes) compared to kids without any history of cancer. A brother's promise: I pledge to extend my advocacy beyond borders, raising awareness, mobilizing resources, and championing research on a global scale. Together, let us [...] Read more

For many, the holiday season is a time of joy, togetherness, and reflection. However, families dealing with the harsh reality of pediatric cancers face exceptional challenges during this time. Instead of partaking in joyous traditions, they find themselves navigating a cancer diagnosis while seeking support and optimal treatment options or, worse, grieving a child lost to the disease.   At CAC2, we are proud of our collaborative network of 500+ members who hail from 41 states and nine countries. We are all committed to ending childhood cancer and, thus, ensuring that every child has a future filled with joyous holidays [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: CAC2 Members Nicole Scobie (Zoe4Life) and Nick Bird (Solving Kids' Cancer-UK) contributed to this Journal of Clinical Oncology commentary calling for a new regulatory approach for developing CAR-T therapies for pediatric cancer patients. CAC2 Members, Focused Ultrasound Foundation and Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation (AWOCCF) are pleased to announce their first collaborative initiative to fund a research project exploring the role of noninvasive focused ultrasound in treating high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma. BrainChild Bio, a newly-launched spinout of Seattle Children’s Hospital focused on childhood central nervous system cancers launches and rather than starting with regulatory [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Dr. Andy Kolb of CAC2 Member Leukemia & Lymphoma Society explains why a well-meaning FDA policy is a threat to pediatric cancer treatment. Pediatric cancer survivors treated with abdominopelvic region radiotherapy (ART) have an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. CAR-T therapy was first approved in November 2017 for life-threatening blood cancers. But recently, the F.D.A. said, it had received 19 reports of new blood cancers in patients who received the treatment. ASCO issues clinical guidance for alternative treatments during oncology drug shortages Scientists [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: World Health Organization (WHO) Foundation report on global childhood cancer A collaboration of researchers has published successful results from a Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of BRAF mutated low-grade paediatric gliomas. Treatment for pediatric leukemia involves intensive chemotherapy, which has severe side effects due to its non-specific mode of action. A team has now discovered a site in the DNA of cancer cells that is essential for leukemia cells to survive. Cancer cells in which the gene encoded at this site was modified experimentally died off. The gene locus thus constitutes a [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: The Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) awarded eight administrative supplements to NCI-Designated Cancer Centers to investigate how data in the CCDI Data Ecosystem can be used to accelerate progress in childhood cancer. A mission to rescue cancer-stricken children from the violence in Gaza has involved multiple countries and last-minute connections in the chaos of war. CCDI also released a new resource in October—the CCDI Hub Explore Dashboard. This enables users to discover and connect childhood cancer data on over 4,100 participants from eight different studies, with plans to add studies as data are released. [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: World Health Organization joins forces with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other key countries to coordinate vital humanitarian action amidst ongoing conflict in the Gaza strip. CAC2 Member Blog by David Achey (Wit You Against Childhood Cancer): "Both during and after treatment, nutrition plays a critical role in supporting the health and well-being of childhood cancer survivors and caregivers.""As a younger physician, I cannot yet seem to curb the feelings of guilt that bubble up when one of my patients dies. In the ever-changing landscape of pediatric oncology, will I always wonder if [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: While new treatments for leukemia have improved outcomes for many patients, children with Down syndrome have not benefited as much. These young people are at increased risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and have higher rates of relapse and treatment-related harm. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed a way to potentially increase the effectiveness of T cell–based immunotherapy treatments, such as CAR T-cell therapy, against solid tumors. Researchers have reported that soy expansion and the subsequent increase of pesticide use in Brazil’s Cerrado and Amazon biomes may correlate with an increased [...] Read more