Improving patient outcomes in pediatric cancer: the critical role for translational research
Since the introduction of chemotherapy for the treatment of childhood leukemia more than 60 years ago, the prognosis for children with cancer has improved dramatically.2 The 5-year survival rate for childhood cancers, many of which were uniformly fatal in the pre-chemotherapy era, is now approaching 80%3Significant improvements in outcomes for pediatric cancers are the result of enhanced understanding of disease biology, successful application of disease risk stratification, and improved therapeutic approaches including use of multiagent chemotherapy or multi-modality therapies. Despite these advances, several childhood cancers still have unacceptably low cure rates; and even when treatment is successful, the acute and long-term morbidity and mortality of current therapy can be substantial.4
Central to the continuous improvement in outcome for children with cancer have been collaborative clinical-translational research efforts throughout the world. In fact, pediatric oncology as a clinical and academic subspecialty evolved in tandem with improvements in cancer outcomes for children. As cancer continues to be the leading cause of death from disease in children, it is imperative that these research efforts continue and the infrastructure supporting such research be maintained in both the near and long term.