Saving Lives, Saving Neurons, the Head Start Consortium for Young Children with Malignant Central Nervous System Tumors
Background
Primary brain tumors are the second most common type of cancer in children and adolescents and are the major cause of cancer related death in this population. Embryonal tumors, which include medulloblastomas and the other primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET), atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) and ependymomas comprise the most common group of malignant brain tumors and are particularly prevalent in patients with these malignancies. This goal is summarized by our mission statement “Saving Lives, Saving Neurons.”
The "Head Start" (HS) treatment protocols, which were developed by the Principal Investigator of this proposal, have utilized intensive chemotherapy, including myeloablative consolidation with autologous hematopoietic cell rescue (AuHCR). This strategy has resulted in approximately 50% EFS with maintenance of cognitive function in the normal range. However, as with other treatment regimens, a significant proportion of patients treated in the HS I and II studies continue to develop recurrent disease after having achieved a complete remission.
Project Goals
The HS III study, when completed, very likely will confirm that the major problem is recurrence from minimal residual disease. Thus, we hypothesize that the most fruitful strategy will be to incorporate post-consolidation therapy that targets minimal residual disease. This will be tested in our upcoming HS IV protocol. Our overall goals are to complete HS III, begin HS IV, and develop a HS-related tumor and normal cell bank for biological research.
