Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a malignant cancer of bone and soft tissues that occurs mainly in children, adolescents and young adults. Currently, combinations of intensive chemotherapy, surgery and radiation are only 70% effective for localized tumors, and these therapies can cause lifelong health problems in survivors. If the tumors spread, fewer than 1/3 of patients will survive. New therapeutic advances are needed that are more effective with fewer toxic side effects.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of muscle cancer in children. When this cancer spreads to other parts of the body (a process called metastasis), it becomes much harder to treat, and survival rates drop to as low as 20%. Therefore, understanding how this cancer spreads is crucial for developing better treatments. One type of this cancer, fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FPRMS), has a special abnormal gene that combines two genes, PAX3 and FOXO1. This type tends to spread more than the other type that doesn't have this fusion gene.

As featured in the 9/2013 ALSF E-News:

“ALSF support was very important for the continuation of our studies on ALL.” – Nora Heisterkamp, PhD

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.