Pediatric Brain Tumor Clinical Trials Cooperative Groups and Consortia
Many of the improvements in survival in childhood cancer are the result of clinical trials that have attempted to improve on the best accepted therapy available. Clinical trials in pediatrics are designed to compare new therapies with those currently accepted as standard. This comparison may be done in a randomized study of two treatment arms or by evaluating a single new treatment and comparing the results with those previously obtained with existing therapy. More information is available from the National Cancer institute.
The Children's Oncology Group (COG) conducts clinical trials devoted exclusively to children and adolescents with cancer. With the support of the National Cancer Institute, COG develops and coordinates clinical trials at more than 200 member institutions, including the cancer centers of major universities and teaching hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well Europe and Australia. COG members include more 5,000 cancer researchers dedicated to saving the lives of children with cancer. The group was formed by the merger of four children's cancer cooperative groups (CCG, POG, IRSG, NWTSG) in order to accelerate the search for a cure. Through the COG network of member institutions, children with cancer, regardless of where they live, can access state-of-the art therapies and the collective expertise of world-renowned pediatric specialists.
Children's Oncology Group Phase 1/Pilot Consortium
The primary objective of the COG Phase 1/Pilot Consortium is to expeditiously develop, implement and integrate advances in our understanding and the treatment of childhood cancer. The Consortium includes approximately 20 institutions. Pharmacokinetic and biological correlative studies are key components of the consortium's phase 1 trials and are increasingly important for new agents with specific molecular targets. The Consortium is funded to conduct pilot studies of promising multi-agent regimens (which may or may not involve a dose escalation). These studies constitute an important step in the integration of new agents into the therapy of specific childhood cancers and require careful monitoring for toxicity and safety by the Consortium's member institutions. After their initial evaluation for safety in children, the agents and regimens can then be studied within the larger group of COG institutions to determine their role for in the treatment of specific childhood cancers.
Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium
The primary objective of the PBTC is to rapidly conduct phase 1 and 2 clinical evaluations of new therapeutic drugs, intrathecal agents, delivery technologies, biological therapies, and radiation treatment strategies in children through 21 years of age with primary CNS tumors. The PBTC includes nine leading academic institutions with extensive experience in the design and management of childhood cancer clinical trials for children with brain tumors. Another objective of the PBTC is to develop and coordinate innovative neuroimaging techniques on a consortium-wide basis. Results from PBTC studies will be available to large international collaborative groups for confirmatory phase 2 and multiagent phase 3 clinical trials. Specifically, direct interactions have been established with the the Children's Oncology Group. This collaborative interaction assures a rapid transition from phase 1 and 2 trials conducted by the PBTC.
Information on this page comes from the National Cancer Institute.
