Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common eye cancer, affecting ~8000 children every year worldwide. This cancer can form in one or both eyes of babies and toddlers. Untreated, RB can lead to death of the child, however even with treatment the tumor may respond poorly and requiring the eye to be removed in 50% of advanced cases. There is a need to better understand the mechanisms behind treatment resistance and relapse for children with RB. For a long time we were limited in understanding this because RB tumors cannot be directly biopsied due to risk of cancer spread outside the eye.

Ewing sarcoma is a malignant cancer of bone and soft tissues that affects children, adolescents and young adults. Currently, combinations of intensive chemotherapy, surgery and radiation are only 70% effective for children with a localized tumor. If the tumors have spread to distant sites, fewer than 1/3 will survive. Additionally, children who survive face a lifelong risk of adverse health effects due to toxicity of therapy, such as secondary cancers, infertility, and significant heart damage. New therapeutic advances are needed that are more effective with fewer toxic side-effects.

Mentor Name: Jessica Tsai

The analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from liquid biopsies, such as blood or cerebrospinal fluid, is a rapidly growing area for clinical innovation. To date, most clinical assays have been developed for solid tumors in adults, which require large volumes of fluid that cannot be safely obtained from young children.