OpenAccessGovernment.org: Current and future therapy for BRAF-mutant pediatric glioma

Professor Peter J. Houghton from the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute discusses new approaches to pediatric cancer treatment, specifically for BRAF-mutant pediatric glioma.

Low-grade glioma (LGG) is the most frequently diagnosed brain tumor in children, and although five and ten-year survival is quite high, this does not reveal the toxicity of current therapies. Conventional treatment includes intensive chemo-radiation therapy that can lead to cognitive decline, malignant transformation, and other life-debilitating or -threatening sequelae. ⁽¹⁾ The 15-year incidence of adverse outcomes such as blindness, hearing loss, obesity, and hormonal imbalance is 18%, 22%, 53%, and approximately 25%, respectively. Among survivors assessed for intellectual function, 34% had an intelligence quotient (IQ) below average. Treatment-resistant progressive disease is the most common cause of death. ⁽²⁾

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Since 2004, UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) mission has been to advance scientific knowledge relevant to childhood cancer, contribute to understanding its causes, and accelerate the translation of knowledge into novel therapies. Greehey CCRI strives to have a national and global impact on childhood cancer by discovering, developing, and disseminating new scientific knowledge. Our mission consists of three key areas — research, clinical, and education.

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