This study aims to see if a personalised approach can be used to find treatment options for children with high-risk cancer by analysing each child’s cancer using a range of different models. Also, the study seeks to understand the psychological impact of participation in a personalised cancer medicine study, and to analyse the costs and benefits of the personalised approach to manage high-risk cancers. Researchers will also be examining whether there are heritable genetic variants that increase the risk of developing cancer at a young age.
This is a multicentre study conducted under the Zero Childhood Cancer Program. The study will be enrolling patients under the age of 21 with high-risk cancer over 3 years from cancer centres in Australia. Patient’s cancer cells will be tested for genetic abnormalities (mutations) and undergoing drug testing in highly specialised laboratories. A Multidisciplinary Tumour Board comprising of oncologists, clinical geneticists and scientists will then discuss the results of each case and determine whether a personalised medicine recommendation can be made. A report describing the results and Tumour Board recommendation (if any) will be provided to the patient’s treating doctor. It is always at the discretion of the treating doctor whether to alter the patient’s management based on the information arising from this research project.