Recurrent Malignancies

Phase I / Phase II Clinical Trials

What are Recurrent Pediatric Cancers?

The return of cancer can happen after apparently successful treatment of the disease, or it can happen during treatment itself. The National Cancer Institute defines recurrence as "a reappearance of cancer at the same site (local), near the initial site (regional), or in other areas of the body (metastatic)."

When a recurrence of cancer is diagnosed, treatment options may be limited. However, research is continually being done to improve cancer survival. Using clinical trials and medical research, tremendous advances have been made in the treatment of childhood cancer. Continued progress in the field of pediatric oncology depends upon identification and testing of experimental therapeutic agents in carefully conducted Phase I (1) and Phase II (2) trials.

In a Phase I trial, the goal is to determine the safest dose and schedule of the drug for children. During this phase side-effects are carefully monitored and we study how the drug behaves in each child’s body. Once we know the safest dose, then, in a Phase II trial, we study the drug treatment 's effectiveness in causing shrinkage (response, remission) in different types of cancers. Before an experimental agent can be evaluated in children, it is carefully studied in the laboratory and in adults.

To find out more about the types of diseases included in Phase I and Phase II trials, see "Diseases" in the Related Topics box.

 

Why St. Jude for Recurrent Pediatric Cancers?

St. Jude is the only pediatric specialty cancer center funded by the National Cancer Institute and the only private cancer center in the United States committed to caring for and supporting children with cancer regardless of the family's financial or healthcare resources.

St. Jude's research and patient care are housed on the same campus, allowing scientists and clinicians interested in Phase I and Phase II studies to work together as a team called the Developmental Therapeutics Team. This interdisciplinary team includes physicians specializing in the development of Phase I and Phase II trials, research nurses, clinical research coordinators, biostatisticians, pharmacists, and basic scientists who rely on shared resources to support the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation and reporting of research.

Your child will be accepted for treatment at St. Jude if he/she is eligible for a clinical study.

Our goals are to:

  • Improve understanding of how and in what doses certain drugs kill cancer cells by targeting key molecules involved in cancer cell growth.
  • Integrate these molecular-targeted therapies into conventional chemotherapeutic and radiation-based therapy.
  • Identify the pathways that encourage cancer cell growth so they can be targeted for new anti-cancer therapies.

We are here to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To find out more about currently available protocols, contact the Phase I / Phase II Clinical Trials program at recurrentcancer@stjude.org or through our online form in the Related Topics box above.

 

 


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