Pediatric Cancer

Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing involves analyzing variants of genes associated with drug metabolism, transport and medication targets. PGx testing uses an individual's genetic factors, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), to personalize therapy or dose a selection of medications. PGx testing has traditionally been used to test single genes, but there are now platforms allowing a panel of genes to be tested at once. To date there has not been a comprehensive screening of pediatric oncology patients to determine the prevalence of genetic variants that may affect anticancer therapy and supportive care medications. This study would allow us to summarize the frequency of clinically relevant gene-drug interactions and actionable genetic polymorphisms in pediatric oncology patients.

This study will evaluate BCB-276, an investigational B7-H3-targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, in children and young adults with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). DIPG is a rare and aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options. CAR T cell therapy uses a patient's own immune cells that are changed in a laboratory to recognize and attack cancer cells. The purpose of this study is to determine whether BCB-276, when given after completion of standard radiation therapy, is safe and can improve survival for patients with DIPG. To participate, individuals must be between 1 and 26 years of age when they join the study, have a diagnosis of DIPG, and enroll for treatment within 6 weeks of completing initial radiation therapy. Participants must not have received prior anti-cancer therapy beyond radiation with or without temozolomide prior to joining this study. BCB-276 is administered intraventricularly (into the fluid around the brain), which requires placement of a catheter for treatment. BCB-276 is given every 2 weeks at a research center over a period of several months (approximately 7-8 months). Participation includes travel to a study site, procedures to support treatment administration, sample collection, and ongoing monitoring for safety and effectiveness, with follow-up visits lasting up to about 2 years.

In this first-in-human, muticenter, non-randomized, open-label, standard 3+3 dose escalation Phase I study encompasses 5 parts (Part 1-5). The purpose of this FIH study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability profile of CBA-1205.

This mixed-methods pilot study will examine the effect of music therapy on oral mucositis pain in pediatric oncology patients. Oral mucositis, characterized by painful ulcerative lesions in the mouth, is a common side effect of high-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell or bone marrow transplantation. Despite its high prevalence and impact on quality of life, effective pain management strategies for pediatric oral mucositis remain limited and often rely heavily on medications that may cause significant side effects or provide insufficient relief. Music therapy may offer a promising non-pharmacologic adjunct for reducing pain, yet no studies to date have specifically evaluated its use for oral mucositis pain in pediatric patients.

Influenza infection occurring during oncologic treatment or following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is associated with increased risk of morbidity in the form of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and mortality relative to otherwise healthy patients. The study participants have been diagnosed with a hematological malignancy and are eligible to receive the current seasonal influenza (Flu) vaccine. Primary Objective * To determine the feasibility of opening a longitudinal prospective study of IIV immunogenicity in pediatric leukemia patients. * To describe the immunogenicity, as measured by the development of cell- and/or antibody-mediated influenza specific responses 3 to 5 weeks following vaccination, in a cohort of pediatric leukemia patients. Secondary Objectives * To describe whether an immune response, as measured by development of cell- and/or antibody-mediated influenza specific responses, is detectable 1-2 weeks following vaccination in a cohort of pediatric leukemia patients. * To describe the durability of immunogenicity by measuring cell - and antibody- mediated influenza specific responses at 6 months and 1 year following vaccination in a cohort of pediatric leukemia patients. Exploratory Objectives * To estimate the clinical effectiveness of influenza vaccine in this cohort by monitoring for the development of clinical diagnosis of influenza in the cohort of enrolled pediatric oncology patients. * To correlate results of immune cell frequency in blood, as measured by complete blood count with differential, with development of an immune response to IIV.

Cancer is a leading cause of illness and death among children, adolescents, and young adults(CAYAs), especially in low- and middle-income countries(LMICs), where access to timely diagnosis and treatment is often limited. As a result, patients in these settings may experience higher rates of treatment complications, interruptions, and poorer outcomes compared with those in high-income countries (HICs). This is a prospective, multicenter observational study that will follow children, adolescents, and young adults(CAYAs) with cancer who are receiving routine care at participating hospitals in low - and middle - income countries(LMICs). The study does not involve experimental treatments or changes to standard medical care. Information will be collected from medical records and from questionnaires that address access to care and social factors affecting treatment. By describing treatment outcomes and the challenges patients and families face during cancer care, this study aims to provide data that can help inform future efforts to improve access to care and cancer outcomes in resource-limited settings.

It is critical to provide accessible evidence-based psychosocial support to parents and caregivers of children with cancer (PCCC) in order to mitigate individual and family-level psychosocial risks. This effectiveness trial evaluates an eHealth intervention for English- and Spanish-speaking (PCCC) with study endpoints focused on decreasing negative psychosocial sequelae (acute distress, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety) and improving coping abilities (coping self-efficacy, cognitive coping strategies). The long-term goal of this research program is to sustain and disseminate an effective, scalable, high-reach, and cost-effective intervention to provide crucial support to PCCC across the pediatric cancer trajectory.

The objective of this study is to utilize all donated pediatric tumor tissues and cells obtained from autopsy to prospectively develop novel patient derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse models as well as in vitro cell culture model systems for pediatric cancers, and also provide tissue samples to other researchers and organizations (eg, CBTN, DIPG Registry, COG).

The purpose of this study is to develop a mechanism for utilizing the comprehensive clinical database of childhood cancer survivors at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) for research purposes. Using clinical information obtained from follow-up visits of childhood cancer survivors, the database will focus on interventions to improve health status and health-related quality of life in childhood cancer survivors. This study allows for establishment and analyses of a research database for LIFE survivors by the investigators listed herein. Over the last three decades, there has been marked improvement in survival following childhood cancer, with 5-year survival rates now approaching 80%. However, the use of cancer therapy at an early age can result in complications that may not be apparent until years later as the child matures. These resulting complications, called late effects, are principally related to the specific therapy employed and the age of the child at the time the therapy was administered. Late effects may affect virtually every body system and substantially impair quality of life. As many as two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors develop at least one late effect as a result of treatment, and approximately one-third have a late effect classified as severe or life threatening.

COMPRENDO (ChildhOod Malignancy Peer Research NavigatiOn) is a multi-site randomized clinical trial (RCT) that uses a Hybrid Type 1 design, to test the effects of a clinical intervention on patient-level outcomes, while exploring multilevel implementation factors that can inform real-world setting implementation. This study will test the impact of COMPRENDO, a peer-navigation intervention, vs. usual care on accrual to childhood cancer therapeutic clinical trials and parental informed consent outcomes. COMPRENDO will be delivered by trained peer navigators in 4 visits. A mixed methods (surveys, individual interviews) implementation evaluation will examine implementation factors that can inform the use of peer navigation in clinical practice, integrating data from clinicians, navigators, administrators, and parents pre and post the RCT.

For a young patient, the conditions of proton therapy treatment can be stressful. Adjusting the environment can be a source of avoiding this physical and psychological discomfort impacting the quality of treatment. A fixed, long, uncomfortable position is the main cause of stress, already present due to the cancerous therapeutic course. It extends the positioning time. For the patient and the optimization of his treatment, solutions must be sought. Relaxation in virtual reality is efficient, simple and non-medicinal and could reduce stress in children and allow irradiation in very good conditions. We will assess the effectiveness of the virtual reality session using objective (placement time, helmet tolerance) and subjective (perceived anxiety via a dedicated questionnaire) criteria. This is the first pediatric virtual reality study, supported by the French Group of Pediatric Radiotherapists, to reduce anxiety in radiotherapy. Multiple benefits from this pilot study are expected, such as improved reception conditions, treatment parameters and better acceptance of proton therapy sessions.

This is a phase I/II study to evaluate the safety of combining intravenous (IV) atezolizumab and bevacizumab every three weeks, with daily oral cyclophosphamide and pharmacokinetic (PK)-guided sorafenib in children and adolescent and young adults (AYA) with relapsed or refractory solid malignancies (Part 1), and then evaluate the response rate of this combination in children, AYA with relapsed or refractory fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) and other rare solid malignancies (Part 2). Primary Objectives Part 1 * To establish the safety associated with the administration of the combination of cyclophosphamide, PK-guided sorafenib, bevacizumab and atezolizumab in children and AYA with relapsed or refractory solid tumors * To determine if sorafenib systemic exposure can be successfully targeted to an AUC between 20 and 55 hr·µg/mL by Day 21 of cycle 1 in 60% of evaluable patients, when given in combination with cyclophosphamide, bevacizumab, and atezolizumab in children and AYA with relapsed or refractory solid tumors Part 2 * To evaluate the response rate (CR+PR) of the combination of cyclophosphamide, PK-guided sorafenib, bevacizumab and atezolizumab in children and AYA with relapsed or refractory FLC following two cycles of therapy * To determine if the use of PK-guided sorafenib dosing to maintain a systemic exposure between 20 and 55 reduces the interpatient pharmacokinetic variability of sorafenib and the incidence of sorafenib- induced skin toxicities in children and AYA with relapsed or refractory FLC and other rare solid tumors Parts 1 \& 2 * To determine if the combination of cyclophosphamide, PK-guided sorafenib and atezolizumab will result in increased intratumoral T-cell infiltration of CD8+C45RO+ cells between baseline and following two courses of therapy in pediatric children and AYA with relapsed or refractory solid tumors following two cycles of therapy * To characterize the pharmacokinetics of atezolizumab in combination with cyclophosphamide, PK-guided sorafenib and bevacizumab in children and AYA with relapsed or refractory solid tumors * To assess the feasibility of performing contrast enhanced ultrasound and explore the correlation between quantitative CEUS parameters and clinical response. Secondary Objectives Part 1 • To describe the response rate (CR+PR) of the combination of cyclophosphamide, PK-guided sorafenib, bevacizumab and atezolizumab in children and AYA with relapsed or refractory solid tumors following two cycles of therapy Part 2 • To describe the response rate (CR+PR) of the combination of cyclophosphamide, PK-guided sorafenib, bevacizumab and atezolizumab in children and AYA with relapsed or refractory FLC, HCC, desmoplastic small round cell tumor, malignant rhabdoid tumor, and other rare solid tumors following two cycles of therapy Parts 1\&2 * To describe the number of children with liver tumors, initially judged unresectable at diagnosis, that can have their primary tumor resected after treatment with oral cyclophosphamide and sorafenib with intravenous bevacizumab and atezolizumab * To describe changes in immune cells in the peripheral blood at periodic times before and after treatment with this combination chemoimmunotherapy * To describe the PFS, EFS, and OS in patients treated with the combination of cyclophosphamide, PK-guided sorafenib, bevacizumab, and atezolizumab in patients with relapsed or refractory FLC, DSRCT, MRT, HCC and other rare solid tumors

Childhood cancer requires prolonged and intensive treatment, resulting in significant biopsychosocial challenges for affected children and their families. During and following treatment, children frequently experience impairments in fine and gross motor skills, reduced physical capacity, emotional difficulties, and decreased participation in daily activities. Within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY), these impairments in body structure and function may negatively influence activity, participation, and overall quality of life. Dance therapy is a holistic rehabilitation approach that integrates rhythm, structured movement, and emotional expression to enhance motor performance, body awareness, and psychosocial well-being. Emerging evidence suggests that dance-based interventions may contribute to improved pain management, psychological resilience, and emotional health in pediatric oncology populations. However, access to structured physical activity programs remains limited due to treatment-related fatigue, infection risk, travel burden, time constraints, and financial costs. Telerehabilitation may overcome these barriers by delivering therapy remotely, thereby improving accessibility, reducing logistical constraints, and ensuring continuity of care. The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of an 8-week telerehabilitation-based dance therapy program (twice weekly, 35-40 minutes per session) on fine and gross motor skills, health-related quality of life, participation in home, school, and community settings, and motivation in children undergoing or recently completing cancer treatment.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether stopping antibiotic treatment early is safe in paediatric patients with cancer who develop high-risk febrile neutropenia but show good clinical evolution and low biomarker levels 48-72 hours after the episode. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is early discontinuation of antibiotics as safe as the standard strategy in terms of preventing invasive bacterial infections (such as sepsis, microbiologically documented infection, ICU admission, or death)? Does this strategy reduce the number of days on antibiotics without increasing infection-related complications? Researchers will compare early antibiotic discontinuation with the standard care strategy to see whether the early-stop approach provides similar safety while reducing antibiotic exposure. Participants will: Receive standard initial antibiotic therapy for febrile neutropenia. Undergo clinical and biomarker evaluations (including CRP and PCT). Be randomly assigned to: Experimental group: early discontinuation of antibiotics, or Control group: continuation of the standard antibiotic strategy. Be followed for 28 days after randomisation to monitor safety outcomes and treatment effects.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the VIDEO-PEDS intervention works to improve Goals of Care communication between clinicians and parents of children with cancer. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the intervention improve Goals of Care documentation? Does it improve patient outcomes (including less invasive preferences for resuscitation and interventions, less hospital utilization, and more palliative care and hospice use)? Does it improve parent outcomes (including health satisfaction and feeling heard and understood per survey scores)?

Purpose: This study aims to create a registry of childhood, adolescent, and young adult patients with cancer (\<40 years-old at cancer diagnosis), entitled the 'UNC Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Cohort' (UNC-CAYACC). This resource will serve to support cancer outcomes research among pediatric and young adult cancer patients with a primary focus on enrolling patients treated as adolescents or young adults (AYAs, 15-39 years). Procedures: As appropriate for age, participants will complete physical and cognitive functional assessments; questionnaires to assess health-related quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes; will undergo body composition and anthropometric measurements; and will be asked to provide biospecimens for biobanking. Assessments will be collected (as possible) at diagnosis, during active treatment, following treatment completion, and annually in survivorship to assess outcomes throughout the treatment and survivorship trajectory. Sociodemographic and clinical information such as cancer treatment modalities and cumulative doses will be collected by medical record abstraction. Participants will be eligible to enroll at any time from diagnosis through survivorship. This registry will provide data to better understand the manifestations of accelerated aging and key contributing factors among children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer.

This study is being conducted to determine how best to educate caregivers about cancer and its treatment. When caregivers are well-informed, they are more confident in supporting their child through treatment, which can improve treatment adherence.

Prior research determined adolescent and young adult-aged childhood cancer survivor (AYA-CCS) and medical provider acceptability of the SexFS Brief in a controlled research setting. Development of an acceptable, effective, and feasible screening approach will result in improved recognition of SD in AYA patients with and surviving childhood cancer.

This clinical trial tests whether a patient- and caregiver-completed questionnaire (QUOCCAS) can accurately help identify children and adolescents with cancer who may have an underlying cancer predisposition syndrome (CPS). The study will also evaluate whether providing families with an educational brochure before their clinic visit improves their understanding of genetics and their satisfaction with care. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does QUOCCAS identify children at risk for CPS as accurately as physician-based tools and compared to genetic testing? * Does the Pre-Visit Preparation (PVP) brochure improve caregiver knowledge about genetics? * Does the PVP brochure improve caregiver satisfaction with the care and information they receive? Participants will: * Complete the QUOCCAS questionnaire about family history, clinical features, and cancer signs * Provide a blood or saliva sample for genetic testing (whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing) * Randomly receive or not receive the educational Pre-Visit Preparation brochure before completing the questionnaire * Complete brief surveys on their knowledge and satisfaction

This study is being done to learn whether a telehealth intervention called "Internet-Based Parent Child Interaction Therapy," or I-PCIT," can help parents improve the child's behavior if the child currently or previously went through cancer treatment. Parents who choose to be in this study will complete a survey to help researchers figure out if the parent is eligible for the larger study. If a parent is eligible for the larger study and chooses to participate, if so, the participants will be randomly assigned to either receive the I-PCIT intervention now or to be on a waitlist and begin I-PCIT in 5-6 months. The whole study consists of completing I-PCIT sessions with a clinician and completing 3-4 follow-up surveys after the initial screener survey.

The goal of this randomized controlled study is to assess the effect of guided imagery on chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in pediatric oncology patients. Participants will receive either guided imagery+routine care or routine care. The researchers will compare nausea and vomiting and vital signs between groups.

Cancer can be a traumatic and particularly salient experience in a person's history. The ways in which the pediatric patient copes with it depend on the interaction of several factors present in his or her life context, primarily the relationship that is established between parent and child. Despite the paucity of studies in the literature in this regard, it would seem that parental coping is predictive of child coping. Coping strategies represent the ways in which people try to manage traumatic events or stressful everyday situations. Currently, the literature identifies two main categories of coping strategies: emotion-oriented and problem-oriented strategies. The former are aimed on reducing stress-induced unpleasant emotions (e.g., problem avoidance, positive reappraisal, etc.); the latter, on the other hand, focus on stress dissolution/alteration (e.g., problem identification and resolution, stress cause research). Some studies, previously conducted in oncology, show that emotion-focused coping strategies are associated with better adaptation immediately after diagnosis, but their positive influence tends to weaken over time; problem-focused coping strategies are more correlated with poor adaptation immediately after diagnosis, but in the later stages of treatment. The clinical experience with patients in the Pediatric Oncohematology Department brings out the need to develop and structure a psychological assessment model, in order to ensure a more effective care of the family units followed. The research aims, through a single administration of psychological tests, to investigate the role of attachment and some variables (age, gender, stage of treatment, stage of the disease, social support, resilience, ability to adapt to environmental stimuli, emotional state of of caregivers) on the coping strategies implemented by the parents of patients and the patients themselves, in order to differentiate the types of psychological intervention, to try to reduce psychological distress and increase levels of mental well-being.

This study was planned to determine the effect of virtual reality glasses on anxiety, fear, and physiological parameters in cancer patients aged 4-10 years undergoing intrathecal chemotherapy. The main questions that the study aimed to answer are as follows: * Could virtual reality glasses affect the fear experienced by children undergoing intrathecal chemotherapy? * Could virtual reality glasses affect the anxiety experienced by children undergoing intrathecal chemotherapy? * Does virtual reality goggles have an effect on the physiological parameters of children undergoing intrathecal chemotherapy? Researchers will compare the effects of virtual reality glasses on fear, anxiety, and physiological parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation) in children with cancer undergoing intrathecal chemotherapy to a control group that will not receive any intervention. Cancer patients participating in the study will be given virtual reality glasses before intrathecal chemotherapy treatment.

This study aims to determine the impact of massage therapy for pediatric patients receiving intensive chemotherapy or stem cell transplant (SCT).

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common form of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The traditional first line treatment for patients with advanced DTC after surgical resection is radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. However, less than a quarter of patients with lung metastases will achieve a complete response to RAI therapy, and this therapy carries the risk of pulmonary fibrosis and an increasingly recognized risk of secondary malignancies.