Assorted News from the Last Week: Access to innovative therapies in pediatric oncology: Report of the nationwide experience in Canada. President’s Cancer Panel Initial Assessment of the National Cancer Plan: A Report to the President of the United States Remembering Alea Christine Ramsey – a young woman who touched many hearts. CAC2 Supporting Organization Day One Biopharmaceuticals gears up for breakthrough in pediatric cancer treatment with promising financials and FDA nod. Innovations in pediatric brain cancer treatment: A leap towards preserving childhood Pediatric cancers, like all rare conditions, will benefit from a ‘Warp Speed’ Mindset 6 biotech companies making a [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Penn State students have raised more than $16.9 million for pediatric cancer patients in the annual 46-hour dance marathon known as Thon. More than 225 advocates from 32 states participated and shared their stories, asking for congressional support for important legislation and funding for childhood cancer.  CAC2 members, Alliance members, and many others across the country had their voices heard. U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), along with Ranking Member of Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Michael Burgess (R-Texas), and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), introduced [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: A Belgian boy with DIPG has lived seven years after his diagnosis and now at 13 years old, there is no trace of the tumor left.  He was enrolled in the BIOMEDE trial, and from the start responded strongly to the cancer drug everolimus. CAC2 Blog post: A Tribute to Pediatric Cancer Caregivers: Honoring Heroes Research demonstrates the feasibility of linking central cancer registry and pediatric cancer clinical trial consortium data to track patients and describe gaps in clinical trial enrollment. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has introduced a simple tool in Latin America called [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) published its first ever set of treatment recommendations pertaining to neuroblastoma. Replacing brentuximab vedotin with nivolumab in first-line treatment combined with the chemotherapy regimen AVD improved progression-free survival in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed, advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Study results confirm that RNA sequencing analysis (RNA-Seq) workflow for clinical diagnosis of molecular subtypes in pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a feasible method. A new rapid, cost-effective, and accurate ATRT subgrouping assay applicable for clinical use is presented. CAC2 Member ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation helps local 9-year-old [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: Hispanic population appears underrepresented in pediatric cancer trials. Liquid biopsies to monitor therapy success and to predict the recurrence of the tumor in time to take medical countermeasures are being used for the first time in neuroblastoma patients through the MONALISA project. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a public reminder to healthcare providers that PEDMARK (sodium thiosulfate injection) by CAC2 Supporting Organization Fennec Pharmaceuticals is not substitutable with other sodium thiosulfate products as explicitly directed in its prescribing label. World Cancer Day Trends:  The number of new cancer cases globally [...] Read more

Assorted News from the Last Week: A year after an investigation revealed widespread use of a substandard version of asparaginase, the World Health Organization and national drug regulators around the world have come under fire for failing to protect children from the dangerous chemotherapy. The drug tovorafenib may halt the growth of or shrink some childhood brain tumors, according to a clinical trial published in Nature Medicine. Bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy improved responses in pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory, high-risk neuroblastoma. Over 3% of all cancer patients in India are under aged 15 and 4.6% under 20. Childhood cancer has long-term [...] Read more