While recent advances have yielded an 80% cure rate for pediatric cancer overall, high-risk sarcoma survival rates have not changed in the past 20 years.
For more than 30 years, CureSearch has played a vital role in pushing forward research breakthroughs in pediatric oncology. During Sarcoma Awareness Month, we’re proud to highlight a CureSearch-funded research project that led to an active Phase l clinical trial, delivering a promising new treatment for Ewing sarcoma, the second-most common bone cancer in children. This trial offers hope for the more than 250 children in the U.S. who are diagnosed each year and those already in treatment.
In 2013, a multi-disciplinary team at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute received a $1.73 million grant from CureSearch to test a novel, targeted treatment for Ewing sarcoma, intended. The team, led by Mary Beckerle, PhD, was successful in identifying a new treatment to disrupt the growth and spread of the cancer, and provided evidence of effectiveness and safety for clinical testing.
“CureSearch provided exactly the kind of support and encouragement that enabled us to shift to team science, with clarity of purpose and the goal of advancing our science to the clinic.” – Dr. Beckerle
The success of Dr. Beckerle’s team provided the foundation for a phase 1 clinical trial that launched in 2018 and will enroll up to 50 Ewing sarcoma patients. This trial is currently recruiting pediatric and young adolescent patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma at clinical sites across the nation, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The study is scheduled to be completed in August of 2020. Detailed trial info can be found here.
Learn more about Dr. Beckerle’s CureSearch-funded project here. The project was supported in part by generous contributions from the Nick Currey Fund and the Kiewit Corporation.
At CureSearch, we are dedicated to accelerating the development of new, less-toxic childhood cancer treatments. Our goal is to save children, adolescents and young adults NOW and enable them to live long, healthy lives. Join us.
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