PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY GROUP

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This proposal represents a request to support continued participation in the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG). This cooperative research is devoted to the investigation of chemotherapeutic and other new innovative approaches to the treatment of acute leukemia and other neoplastic diseases of childhood. Significant palliation and prolongation of survival has been achieved and contributions have been made in clinical pharmacology. However, the real objective of these studies is the eradication of neoplastic diseases by treatment. Studies are being designed to reflect an increasing intensity of attack on the neoplastic cell. The cooperative group technique permits prompt evaluation in series of reasonable size of promising leads in chemotherapy. These leads or new approaches are often suggested by the results of the group's own work in clinical oncology. Thus, a completed protocol often suggests new avenues to be explored in new protocols. POG also led in the investigation of immunophenotyping of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, correlating it with prognosis and designing appropriate treatment protocols accordingly. The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego had a 10 year involvement in cooperative group studies with Cancer and Leukemia Group B prior to joining forces with POG in 1980. We have been one of the major contributors in patient registry to group protocol studies. In the last 4 years (Nov. 1984 - Nov. 1988), we have entered 457 patients on Group protocol studies. For the year from May 1988 through May 1989, there were 110 patients entered from UCSD. Both Drs. Faith Kung and Alice Yu chair group therapeutic protocols (-leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and new agents). Dr. Yu's laboratory also serves as the group reference laboratory for the study of the pharmacology of deoxycoformycin GD2, a tumor marker for neuroblastoma. Dr. Wayne Spruce is actively involved with group protocols on bone marrow transplantation. Dr. Hector James serves on the Brain Tumor Committee. Dr. William Thomas is a study coordinator for the protocol on the treatment of germ cell tumors. Dr. John Fontanesi is the driving force behind the design of neuropsychological testing for group protocol studies on low rade cerebellar astrocytomas and visual pathway tumors. We plan to continue our active participation in all phases of POG activities.