Gail Tomlinson, M.D., Ph.D.
is to develop trials, the infrastructure provides a network
of experts who are generally accessible and available for
The Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute
discussion and interaction. Without this infrastructure, the
treatment for the rare tumors of childhood could not go
Within the Children’s Oncology Group, my focus is on
forward.
the less common tumors of early childhood, particularly
tumors of the liver. Hepatoblastoma is the most common
tumor of the liver in children and occurs almost exclusively
in children under the age of fi ve, suggesting that factors
Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, M.D.
infl uencing growth and development of the liver may play
a role in the development of hepatoblastoma. We are
Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital
working to determine how genes which are involved in liver
development are also involved in the development of liver
Initially, my research focused on pediatric cancers such as
tumors in children.
sarcomas and bone tumors, but as I began taking care of
children with those less common malignancies, I realized
Despite advances, up to one-third of hepatoblastomas are
that there is so much to learn and to do to help those
not curable. We desperately need new agents for children
unfortunate children.
with hepatoblastoma who relapse or who have tumors
which cannot be surgically
My research now focuses mainly in retinoblastoma and
removed and do not respond
rare cancers. With retinoblastoma, the main focus is in
to therapy aimed at shrinking
the development of better strategies for ocular salvage
tumors. In addition, current
and vision preservation and in the study of retinoblastoma
therapy is highly toxic and can
biology. We have developed
lead to long-term side effects
therapeutic protocols that
including hearing loss and
explore new methods for
kidney damage. It is possible
drug delivery to the eye, and
that there are some children
we have started an initiative
who may have tumors who
to further our knowledge on
do not need a long course
biology with the development
of multi-agent therapy.
of a biology protocol and
Currently, we are lacking tools
studies on new molecular
which at the outset of therapy
targets.
can determine which children will respond well to therapy,
which will do well with minimal therapy and which will clearly Rare cancers are a very
be potential candidates for additional new therapies. important area of research,
as we must not forget
We currently need a network of experts to review and
children suffering from the
determine the best treatment for children with cancer.
less known cancers. We have developed a strong initiative
But more importantly, because a substantial proportion
within COG that is trying to combine therapeutic and
of children with liver cancer still relapse and die of their
translational research. Our main subjects of interest are
disease, we urgently need to work together to translate
germ cell tumors, liver cancers, adrenocortical carcinoma,
biologic and genetic studies into better therapies.
and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Research on rare cancers
always helps us develop new ways of collaboration with
In terms of numbers, childhood cancers are rare. Although
adult specialists and develop models for inter-group, inter-
major public and private funding agencies have included
age, and international collaborations.
pediatric cancers in their funding portfolios, emphasis has
been on the more common tumors which occur in adults
There are still too many children dying of cancer for us to
and impact a larger segment of the population. In addition,
even consider that we are doing well. We need to learn more
many of the new agents which have been developed
about the biology of these malignancies, and develop better
for adult cancers have resulted from molecular targeting
treatments. Research in adult cancer is seldom applicable
pathways which are very different from the molecular
to pediatric malignancies and we have to develop our own
pathways involved in childhood tumors. We really need to
research programs. The Children’s Oncology Group plays a
focus on some of the development pathways that are so key
pivotal role in research and treatment of pediatric cancer, not
to understanding tumor development in children.
only in the US, but also worldwide. COG provides the best
model of integration of clinical and translational research for
Without the Children’s Oncology Group, it would be nearly
pediatric cancer at all levels.
impossible to learn about the particularly less common
tumors of childhood. No single institution in the U.S. sees
more than a very few number of childhood hepatoblastomas
in a single year. Although the primary focus of the COG
CureSearch Annual Report 2009
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