UA Steele Children's
Clinical Trial for Innovative Cancer
Drug
Oct. 7, 2005
Contact: Darci Slaten, (520)
626-7217 or
Researchers at The
University of Arizona Steele
Children's Research Center are exploring less toxic ways to treat
children with cancer. Rochelle Bagatell,
MD, assistant professor of pediatrics and her colleagues at the
Steele Center are investigating the anticancer effects of 17AAG
(17-allylamino-geldanamycin)-a pediatric cancer drug. Luke Whitesell, MD, UA professor of
pediatrics, completed the work that allowed scientists to understand how the
drug works.
The clinical trial
is in collaboration with nine other academic medical centers across the nation,
including
"Unlike traditional
chemotherapy, this drug specifically targets cancer cells," says Dr. Bagatell.
"Since chemotherapy affects all cells in the body, patients feel terribly sick
and have many negative side effects such as hair loss, vomiting, nausea and
fatigue. If drugs likes 17AAG prove successful, children receiving chemotherapy
will experience fewer side effects and less damage to their vital organs."
The study now is in
Phase 1-a study to determine how much can be tolerated by the patient. Phase 1
trials typically are small, recruiting about 30 patients. "So far, we have
enrolled 12 children in this trial," says Dr. Bagatell. For many children whose
cancer has progressed despite standard therapies, a Phase 1 clinical trial
offers some hope to families who have no other options. "Families who may have
had to travel across the country to participate in this kind of study, now have
access right here in
The 17AAG clinical
trial is funded in part by proceeds raised from the annual Raise a Racquet for Kids tennis event and
tournament.
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Coordinator
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