Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Background

Background

Background

Neuroblastoma is an embryonal tumor responsible for 15% of pediatric cancer deaths. Survival rate for high-risk neuroblastoma, which affects the majority of patients, is still dismal despite the use of aggressive therapy. Relapse occurs in over half of patients, with no current prospect for a cure. Therefore, understanding the cause of relapse is critical for enabling the development of effective treatments.

Background

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. Despite intensive treatment regimens approximately 50-60% of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma will eventually relapse, emphasizing the need for novel treatment approaches.

Background

Emerging evidence suggests that many cancers experience episodes of very rapid mutation. One example is a newly discovered mutagenic event called chromothripsis, in which one of the 46 DNA molecules (chromosomes) in the cell is heavily damaged, causing some segments of the chromosome to become scrambled, while others are lost altogether. Chromothripsis has been described in many cancers, but is particularly common in some pediatric cancers including sarcomas and gliomas.