What research is NCI currently doing on childhood cancer?
The NCI is funding a large portfolio of studies (http://researchportfolio.cancer.gov/) looking at the causes of and the most effective treatments for childhood cancers. Ongoing investigations include: • Studies to identify causes of the cancers that develop in children: The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) (http://www.childrensoncologygroup.org) is evaluating potential risk factors for a variety of childhood cancers. Very large studies have been completed of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the brain, astrocytoma, neuroblastoma, and germ cell tumors. One large study, the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, is evaluating the risks of second cancers related to radiation therapy and chemotherapy received by survivors of childhood cancer as part of treatment for their primary cancer (see below). COG has also established a Childhood Cancer Research Network that creates a national registry of children with c
