title: Remaining challenges in childhood cancer and newer targeted therapeutics.
abstract: Despite the enormously important and gratifying advances in cancer treatment outcomes for children with cancer, cancer remains the biggest cause of death from disease in children. Because the etiology and biology of cancers that occur in children differ dramatically from those that occur in adults, the immediate extrapolation of efficacy and safety of new cancer drugs to childhood cancer indications is not possible. We discuss factors that will play key roles in guiding pediatric oncologists as they select lines of research to pursue in their quest for more effective treatments for children with cancer.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, RM 5-W414, MSC 9737, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: Malcolm.Smith@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Malcolm A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Office of Hematology and Oncology Products, OND, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, White Oak Building 22, Room 2202, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Reaman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Innovative clinical trials; Pediatric cancer drug development; Personalized medicine; Preclinical testing; Targeted therapy