Clinical Trials

This phase II trial studies how well reduced doses of radiation therapy to the brain and spine (craniospinal) and chemotherapy work in treating patients with newly diagnosed type of brain tumor called WNT)/Wingless (WNT)-driven medulloblastoma. Recent studies using chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been shown to be effective in treating patients with WNT-driven medulloblastoma. However, there is a concern about the late side effects of treatment, such as learning difficulties, lower amounts of hormones, or other problems in performing daily activities. Radiotherapy uses high-energy radiation from x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, vincristine sulfate, cyclophosphamide and lomustine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving reduced craniospinal radiation therapy and chemotherapy may kill tumor cells and may also reduce the late side effects of treatment.

The pupose of this study is to evaluate whether or not selumetinib works just as well as the standard treatment with carboplatine/vincristine (CV) for subjects with NF1-associated low grade glioma (LGG), and to see if selumetinib is better than CV in improving vision in subjects with LGG of the optic pathway (vision nerves). Selumetinib is a drug that works by blocking some enzymes that low grade glioma tumor cells need for their growth. This results in killing tumor cells. Drugs used as chemotherapy, such as carboplatin and vincristine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known whether selumetinib works better in treating patients with NF1-associated low-grade glioma compared to standard therapy with carboplatin and vincristine.

The purpose of this Pediatric MATCH screening and multi-sub-study phase II trial studies how well treatment that is directed by genetic testing works in pediatric patients with solid tumors, non-Hodgkin lymphomas, or histiocytic disorders that have progressed following at least one line of standard systemic therapy and/or for which no standard treatment exists that has been shown to prolong survival. Genetic tests look at the unique genetic material (genes) of patients' tumor cells. Patients with genetic changes or abnormalities (mutations) may benefit more from treatment which targets their tumor's particular genetic mutation, and may help doctors plan better treatment for patients with solid tumors or non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

The purpose of this study is to monitor outcome to ensure that children and young adults with localized central nervous system (CNS) non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) treated with Induction chemotherapy followed by response evaluation and whole ventricular + spinal canal irradiation (WVSCI) will maintain the excellent 2-year progression free survival (PFS) rate as compared to ACNS0122. Also, to improve disease control by decreasing the number of spinal relapses for patients who achieve a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) and receive WVSCI as compared to whole ventricular radiation on ACNS1123.

This phase III trial compares memantine to usual treatment in treating patients with brain tumors that are newly diagnosed or has come back (recurrent). Memantine may block receptors (parts of nerve cells) in the brain known to contribute to a decline in cognitive function. Giving memantine may make a difference in cognitive function (attention, memory, or other thought processes) in children and adolescents receiving brain radiation therapy to treat a primary brain tumor.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the event-free survival (EFS) distribution for newly-diagnosed patients with BRAFV600-mutant high-grade glioma (HGG) without H3 K27M mutations excluding anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (aPXA) and anaplastic ganglioglioma (aGG) treated with radiation therapy followed by a maintenance combination of dabrafenib and trametinib and to compare this EFS to contemporary historical controls.

This clinical trial is studying long-term follow-up in patients who are or have participated in Children's Oncology Group studies. Developing a way to track patients enrolled in Children's Oncology Group studies will help doctors gather long-term follow-up information and may help the study of cancer in the future.

The purpose of this study is to confirm detection of the H3K27M mutation in patient biofluids (CSF, blood, urine, saliva) and uncover the molecular histone (alkaline protein) profile of H3K trimethylation and H3S phosphorylation in the circulating nucleosomes isolated from the biofluids of patients with H3K27M tumors.

The purpose of this registry called Every Child, is to collect data and biospecimens from multiple body sources for younger patients with cancer over time. Gathering health information over time from younger patients with cancer may help doctors find better methods of treatment and on-going care.

The purpose of the Pediatric Proton Consortium Registry (PPCR) is to enroll children who have been treated with proton radiation in the United States in order to describe the population that currently receives protons and better evaluate its benefits over other therapies. The data collected from this study will help facilitate research on proton beam radiation therapy and allow for collaborative research. The PPCR will collect demographic and clinical data which many centers that deliver proton radiation therapy already collect in routine operations.