The Childhood Cancer Blog

The Childhood Cancer Blog

Welcome to The Childhood Cancer Blog
from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation!

While treatments like CAR T cell immunotherapy have changed the landscape of treatment for kids with some types of childhood leukemias, researchers have had less success translating immunotherapy to solid tumors.  Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Young Investigator grantee, Adam Wolpaw, MD, at Children’s... Read More

  • Edie, with her mother Emily.
  • Alex Scott, ALSF Founder

Edie was just 5 months old when she began experiencing stomach pain. Her parents knew something wasn’t right and after a series of tests, Edie was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. By the time she was 2 years old, Edie had been fighting neuroblastoma for over half her life and treatment wasn’t working.

Her cancer persisted. Out of options, Edie went to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), an Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Center of Excellence. 

CHOP doctors tested Edie’s blood and found she was harboring a specific mutation called anaplastic lymphoma... Read More

Leevi was diagnosed at age 2 with ependymoma and relapsed at age 5. After frontline treatment failed, Leevi enrolled in a clinical trial.

Oncology researcher Dr. Meenaskshi Hegde, from Texas Children’s Hospital, is working to change the outcome for kids facing ependymoma and to ensure that treatments are available at several institutions. 

Using Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Center of Excellence (COE) grant funding, Dr. Hegde is leading a Phase 1 study of CAR T cells for patients with refractory or relapsed ependymoma. The study, which opened in early 2022 at three children’s hospitals, will give patients access to treatment... Read More

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