Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second most common form of leukemia in children, and the intensive therapy used to treat pediatric AML requires expert nursing knowledge.
Pediatric MATCH (Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice) is a joint effort between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Children’s Oncology Group (COG) matching targeted therapies to specific tumor genomic sequencing in patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphomas, brain tumors, and histiocytic disorders.
Improvements in patient care occur when new research findings are moved into practice. The average length of time for this translation, however, is 17 years. Within the past 3 years, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) has produced 248 publications (about 83 per year).
The care of children with cancer spans diagnosis and treatment, with the goal being survivorship. Approximately 80% of children diagnosed with cancer will survive, and many childhood cancer survivors may experience both physical and psychological late effects secondary to their cancer or its treatment.
Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a striking predisposition for developing acute leukemia, with a 40-fold increased risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) compared to non-DS patients (Wadhwa et al, 2017). Approximately 3% of children with ALL have DS, and these children have inferior outcomes and higher rates of treatment-related mortality (TRM) and are at greater risk of relapse (Buitenkamp et al., 2014).
Clinical trials are essential in the treatment of pediatric and young adult patients with cancer and have resulted in dramatic improvements in cure rates over the years. Because of clinical trials, we are now better able to understand the biology of different types of cancers affecting children and young adults and determine the best treatment options.