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

Assorted News from the Last Week: The US National Childhood Cancer Registry (NCCR) is combining data from myriad sources to hasten and improve research into pediatric and young adult cancers. The registry will also draw information from birth defects registries and state departments of health.   CAC2 Supporting Member Day One Biopharmaceuticals today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) for tovorafenib as a monotherapy in relapsed or progressive pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG). The frequency of cellular therapy trial activations enrolling child/AYA patients with cancer in the U.S. has increased over time. [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Trial results confirm effectiveness of Atezolizumab against a rare sarcoma. By a 14-6 vote, the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) decided that the totality of evidence presented was sufficient to show that DFMO maintenance improved 2-year event-free survival (EFS). Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. reported that it has the ability to conduct preclinical cancer research using ITCC-P4’s well-characterized collection of 400 annotated pediatric cancer models, and is offering clients access to this collection. The combination of apatinib, irinotecan, and temozolomide has shown activity in a phase 2 trial of pediatric and adult patients with [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Video distraction minimizes anesthesia for children undergoing radiotherapy. Supporting the family affected by a pediatric cancer diagnosis: siblings matter, too. From the Journal of Clinical Oncology: Chromosomal gains as a favorable prognostic factor in pediatric ALL. A teen's guide to everything cancer. Cancer in kids is different from cancer in grown-ups – figuring out how could lead to better pediatric treatment. Perception of infertility risk mostly inaccurate among young female cancer survivors. Increased surgical duration was found to be an independent risk factor for surgical site infection in patients with lower extremity bone tumors [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Opinion piece from the New York Times:  It Takes a Lifetime to Survive Childhood Cancer. (with a bonus that it references a paper from Pediatric Blood Cancer co-authored by several CAC2 Member patient advocates).   Precedent Setting: In a 14 to 6 vote, the FDA’s Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) agrees that eflornithine (DFMO) shows sufficient evidence to reduce the risk of relapse in pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HRBN) who are in remission and have completed multi-agent, multi-modality therapy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bosulif (bosutinib) for the treatment of [...] Read more