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Research
Grandparents’ Experiences of Childhood Cancer: A Qualitative StudyA child's cancer diagnosis has a significant impact on the lives of grandparents. Grandparents experience the stress of worrying about both their adult children and their grandchildren. Our study aimed to explore the lived experience of grandparents of children diagnosed with cancer.
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Stability and change in self-reported risk and resilience factors associated with mental health of siblings of individuals with and without neurodevelopmental conditions over 15 monthsSiblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) are a minority population at higher genetic and environmental risk of poorer neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes compared to siblings of individuals without NDCs.
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Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Central Nervous System Tumors Harboring NTRK Gene FusionsTropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions are detected in less than 2% of central nervous system tumors. There are limited data on the clinical course of affected patients.
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Precision-guided treatment in high-risk pediatric cancersRecent research showed that precision medicine can identify new treatment strategies for patients with childhood cancers. However, it is unclear which patients will benefit most from precision-guided treatment.
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Imaging of pediatric brain tumors: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee/ASPNR White PaperTumors of the central nervous system are the most common solid malignancies in children and the most common cause of pediatric cancer-related mortality. Imaging plays a central role in diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and response assessment of pediatric brain tumors.
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Small-molecule screen reveals synergy of cell cycle checkpoint kinase inhibitors with DNA-damaging chemotherapies in medulloblastomaMedulloblastoma (MB) consists of four core molecular subgroups with distinct clinical features and prognoses. Treatment consists of surgery, followed by radiotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Despite this intensive approach, outcome remains dismal for patients with certain subtypes of MB, namely, MYC-amplified Group 3 and TP53-mutated SHH. Using high-throughput assays, six human MB cell lines were screened against a library of 3208 unique compounds. We identified 45 effective compounds from the screen and found that cell cycle checkpoint kinase (CHK1/2) inhibition synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic activity of clinically used chemotherapeutics cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and gemcitabine.
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RAD51-Mediated DNA Homologous Recombination Is Independent of PTEN Mutational StatusPTEN mutation occurs in a variety of aggressive cancers and is associated with poor patient outcomes. Recent studies have linked mutational loss of PTEN to reduced RAD51 expression and function, a key factor involved in the homologous recombination (HR) pathway. However, these studies remain controversial, as they fail to establish a definitive causal link to RAD51 expression that is PTEN-dependent, while other studies have not been able to recapitulate the relationship between the PTEN expression and the RAD51/HR function.
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Developing new immune based therapies for neuroblastomaNeuroblastoma is a complex childhood cancer of the nerve cells and the most common solid tumour in children outside of the brain. The average age of diagnosis is 1-2 years and tragically 50% of children with high-risk neuroblastoma lose their battle within five years.
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Finding new, safer and targeted therapies for paediatric brain cancer that amplify responses to radiation therapyRadiation therapy is an essential component of brain cancer treatment. However, the high doses currently required are extremely damaging to the growing brains and bodies of children.
We strive for a future where no child will die from brain cancer because we have developed new therapies that will cure their disease.