Clinical Genomics

---

children with cancer a new, high-precision medicines, which are available to adults, doctors warn will be denied.

doctors at The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, said The Rules were "too cautious".

their study found in the European Journal of Cancer, only 7% of the suitable medicines for children, target, genetic get vulnerabilities in your cancer.

The researchers said that children benefit from precision medicine, even More Than adults.

What is precision medicine?

cancers are caused by once-healthy cells to mutate and divide without control.

precision cancer medicine with the specific mutation in a cancer drugs that aim.

As always, the cause of cancer, But these drugs can also cause fewer Side Effects .

This approach is widely used in adults, such as the drug herceptin is only in patients with the appropriate mutation.

The study examines how far this approach could be used in children.

How common is cancer in children?

1,850 children with the diagnosis of cancer in the UK each year.

But childhood cancers are relatively Rare - they make up less than 1% of all cancers diagnosed in the United Kingdom.

Huge progress in the treatment of blood cancers such as leukemia, But progress on solid tumors (e.g., tumors in The Brain , kidney or bone) was slower.

cancer is the same as cancer of adult disease?

There are important differences.

children are more likely to "embryonal tumors", which are tied up in development and some may even begin in the womb.

their tumors also tend to be "easier" and are caused by significant mutations in their cancer, But as adults, the accumulation of a lifetime of small mutations.

The research team say, that is therapies targeted to specific mutations, the disease may be more effective in cancer.

What have to show the study?

The study focuses on solid tumors.

He looked at samples of 223 children and analyzed the DNA in their tumors.

The Doctors were on the search for mutations in the 91 genes, can be treated a cell malignant and may be a targeted therapy.

While the researchers found that 51% of the cases could have been treated, with a accuracy drug, only 7%.

And there were "significant benefits" for those who have been treated with such precision medication.

"earn children The Best cancer treatments, so that you can live as long as possible and as good as possible," said Dr. Sally George , one of the researchers and a pediatric oncologist.

"We have shown that it is possible to identify, the new smarter, friendly treatment options for children, the conventional therapies may have failed these patients much longer with their families, after.

"But our study also makes the desperately frustrating barriers that children still face in the receipt of new treatments. "

Why don't children already get these drugs?

The study showed that a mixture of reasons.

Some of the children were already responding to conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy, others were based on studies of the pioneers of immune therapy, medications, and others were already sick.

the researchers, However, also attacked the current system meant that the drugs were rarely tested On Children , even if they are effective in adults.

"There's always a nervousness of doing something wrong. But if you do not ever test any of these drugs, they are said to improve never been in The Situation ," said Dr. Mike Hubank, The Head of Clinical Genomics at The Royal Marsden.

"The pharmaceutical industry and the regulatory authorities are very risk averse, But there are two types of risks.

"There are risks now, and there are risks that do not do something in the future, and I think it's about finding the balance.

"I think we have to be careful. "

What do The Experts say?

Dr Áine McCarthy, Cancer Research UK, said: "we Make sure that children and Young People with cancer have access to The Best treatment options is crucial for the chances of survival and improve long-term results.

"Unfortunately not, as this study shows, there are barriers that limit access to this potentially life-saving treatments.

"We need more clinical studies to assess whether new or existing 'adult' drugs are safe to use and effective in children, and what are the long term Side Effects they can cause. "

follow James .

genetics, cancer, medical research

Source of news: bbc.com