Document text
Principal Investigator: Douglas S. Hawkins
Organization: PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $23,864,727
Funding agency: National Cancer Institute
PROJECT SUMMARY
Since the introduction of chemotherapy for the treatment of childhood leukemia more than 60 years ago, the
prognosis of childhood cancer has improved dramatically. The overall 5-year survival rate for childhood cancers,
many of which were uniformly fatal in the pre-chemotherapy era, is now 84%. Progress for a number of childhood
cancers, however, has been limited, with approximately 50% of children with acute myelogenous leukemia, 50%
of children with high-risk neuroblastoma, and more than 90% of children with brainstem glioma, still succumbing
to their disease. In the US, cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in children greater than one
year of age. Moreover, the late effects of cancer treatment, including permanent organ and tissue damage,
hormonal and reproductive dysfunction and second cancers, are of special concern, with more than 40% of the
estimated 360,000 survivors of childhood cancer experiencing a significant health related quality of life
complication from childhood cancer and its treatment. Thus, despite our advances, development of new
therapeutic approaches must be a priority for childhood cancer basic, translational and clinical researchers. The
Children's Oncology Group (COG), the world's largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and
adolescent cancer research, was founded 17 years ago. The COG's multidisciplinary research team, comprised
of more than 9,000 members, conducts research at more than 220 leading children's hospitals, universities, and
cancer centers. This proposal is for COG, as part of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) National Clinical Trials
Network (NCTN), to continue its collaborative research work that supports the mission of improving the outcome
for all children with cancer. The COG will design and conduct clinical-translational studies for children with cancer
that builds on an increasing understanding of the molecular basis for pediatric malignancies and has the highest
potential to improve the outcome. Using innovative clinical trial designs suitable for the study of rare diseases,
we will study novel therapeutic approaches including but not limited to targeted small molecule drugs,
immunotherapies and cellular therapies. The COG research portfolio importantly also includes clinical trials
focused on improving the quality of life children with cancer and survivors. As more than 90% of children
diagnosed with cancer in the US are treated at COG member institutions, the COG has the ability to offer a
diverse population of children with cancer and their families the opportunity to participate in innovative research.
This research effort includes allowing for collection and annotation of biospecimens from all children with cancer,
providing the foundation for discovery and accelerating the most promising research efforts conducted in
laboratories around the world. The proposal is for support of the COG Network Operations Center, clinician-
scientists who develop and conduct research, and for member sites to participate through enrollment of eligible
subjects.
Terms: <0-11 years old><1 year of age><1 year old><AML - Acute Myeloid Leukemia><Acceleration><Acute><Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia><Acute Myelocytic Leukemia><Acute Myelogenous Leukemia><Adolescent><Adolescent Youth><Adverse Late Effects><Australia><Body Tissues><Brain Stem Glioma><Brain Stem Neuroglial Neoplasm><Brain Stem Neuroglial Tumor><Brainstem Glioma><Brainstem Neuroglial Neoplasm><Brainstem Neuroglial Tumor><Canada><Cancer Center><Cancer Patient><Cancer Treatment><Cancers><Caring><Cause of Death><Cell Therapy><Child><Child Support><Child Youth><Childhood><Childhood Cancers><Childhood Leukemia><Children (0-21)><Children's Hospital><Children's Oncology Group><Clinical><Clinical Research><Clinical Study><Clinical Trials><Clinical Trials Design><Collaborations><Collection><Communities><Complication><Country><Development><Diagnosis><Disease><Disorder><Dose><Drugs><Dysfunction><Eligibility><Eligibility Determination><Enrollment><Ensure><Family><Foundations><Functional disorder><Generations><Goals><Hormonal><Immune mediated therapy><Immunologically Directed Therapy><Immunotherapy><Infrastructure><Institution><Interdisciplinary Research><Interdisciplinary Study><Investigators><Knowledge><Laboratories><Late Effects><Lead><Malignant Childhood Neoplasm><Malignant Childhood Tumor><Malignant Neoplasm Therapy><Malignant Neoplasm Treatment><Malignant Neoplasms><Malignant Pediatric Neoplasm><Malignant Pediatric Tumor><Malignant Tumor><Malignant childhood cancer><Medication><Methods><Mission><Molecular><Morbidity><Morbidity - disease rate><Multidisciplinary Collaboration><Multidisciplinary Research><NCI Organization><National Cancer Institute><National Clinical Trials Network><Neuroblastoma><New Zealand><Organ><Organization Charts><Orphan Disease><Outcome><Patients><Pb element><Pediatric Hospitals><Pediatric Leukemia><Pediatric Oncology Group><Pharmaceutical Preparations><Physiopathology><Population Heterogeneity><Population Research><Population-based research><Population-level research><Position><Positioning Attribute><Productivity><Prognosis><Protocol Screening><QOL><Quality of life><Rare Diseases><Rare Disorder><Research><Research Personnel><Researchers><Scientist><Second Cancer><Second Primary Cancers><Secondary Malignancy><Secondary Malignant Neoplasm><Site><Survival Rate><Survivors><Tissues><Translational Research><Translational Science><United States><Universities><Work><acute granulocytic leukemia><acute myeloid leukemia><age 1 year><aged 1 year><aged one year><anti-cancer research><anti-cancer therapy><cancer diagnosis><cancer in a child><cancer in children><cancer research><cancer therapy><cancer-directed therapy><cell mediated therapies><cell-based therapeutic><cell-based therapy><cellular therapeutic><cellular therapy><chemotherapy><child with cancer><childhood cancer survivor><childhood malignancy><children with leukemia><clinical translation><clinically translatable><design><designing><developmental><diverse populations><drug/agent><enroll><experience><health related quality of life><heavy metal Pb><heavy metal lead><heterogeneous population><high risk><immune therapeutic approach><immune therapeutic interventions><immune therapeutic regimens><immune therapeutic strategy><immune therapy><immune-based therapies><immune-based treatments><immuno therapy><improved><improved outcome><innovate><innovation><innovative><juvenile><juvenile human><kids><leukemia in children><malignancy><member><multidisciplinary><neoplasm/cancer><new therapeutic approach><new therapeutic intervention><new therapeutic strategies><new therapy approaches><new treatment approach><new treatment strategy><novel therapeutic approach><novel therapeutic intervention><novel therapeutic strategies><novel therapy approach><one year of age><one year old><operation><operations><organizational structure><orphan disorder><pathophysiology><pediatric><pediatric cancer><pediatric cancer survivor><pediatric malignancy><population diversity><reproductive><secondary cancer><small molecule><success><survivorship><translation research><translational investigation><translational study><youngster>