About the Center for Precision Medicine for High-Risk Pediatric Cancer
The Center for Precision Medicine for High-Risk Pediatric Cancer builds upon ongoing precision medicine efforts across multiple departments at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Precision medicine for pediatric cancer has two areas of focus: (1) profiling each patient’s cancer to identify unique vulnerabilities and prognostic or therapeutic markers, and (2) treatment based on an individual patient’s identified risk and genetic targets.
A Dedicated Precision Medicine Clinic for Patients
The center offers patients a world-class “one stop” Cancer Precision Medicine clinic, bringing together specialists from Oncology, Tumor Sequencing, Surgery, Radiology, Pathology and Radiation Oncology. Virtual consultations are available in some situations.
Access to Cutting-edge Clinical Trials
Our physician-scientists are not only experts in delivering treatment but are involved in the development of new ways to treat these diseases more safely, effectively and with fewer side effects. The team members are leaders in international clinical trials for solid tumors, leukemia and brain tumors. We are working to develop next-generation ways to detect the cancer biomarkers using tumor DNA found in the bloodstream. In partnership with CHOP’s Developmental Therapeutics Program, we conduct clinical trials for new precision therapies supported by these precision diagnostics, and our patients have access to clinical trials that are appropriate for them.
Large Databases that Enable Breakthroughs
We are building the largest dataset in pediatric cancer that combines information on the patient, tumor, multi-omics, epigenetics and outcome. We are working to utilize this dataset to help define treatment options for individual patients and to allow researchers to better understand these tumors and develop new treatment options for children with high-risk cancers. This allows us to refine our research and our treatment plans for each patient.
We are expanding our biorepository of pediatric tumor specimens. Particularly, we are focused on obtaining living samples of individual patients’ tumors (viably cryopreserved tissue) that are very rare in current biorepositories. These samples will enable us to perform novel sequencing technologies to better understand the changes that drive these cancers and allow laboratory researchers to test new therapies based on these discoveries. We believe these samples are critical to the next generation of precision medicine advances.