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Clinical trials starting at Randwick will help hundreds of children with life-threatening cancers

CLINICAL trials at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick will see patients with aggressive cancers offered tailor-made treatment programs in one of the world’s most comprehensive studies.

Sherie Polzin and her daughter Ava who has a rare form of cancer and will be part of the Clinical trial. Picture: John Appleyard
Sherie Polzin and her daughter Ava who has a rare form of cancer and will be part of the Clinical trial. Picture: John Appleyard

CLINICAL trials at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick will see patients with aggressive cancers offered tailor-made treatment programs in one of the world’s most comprehensive studies.

A total of 60 youngsters have signed up to the Zero Childhood Cancer program, led by the Children’s Cancer Institute and the Kids’ Cancer Centre, which will be rolled out at hospitals across Australia.

The children, who all have cancers with a survival rate of less than 30 per cent using standard treatments, will be offered personalised medicine as part of the clinical trials.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and music therapist Matt Ralph with Sherie Polzin and her daughter Ava Polzin, 13 months, who has a rare form of cancer and may be part of the clinical trial. Picture: John Appleyard
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and music therapist Matt Ralph with Sherie Polzin and her daughter Ava Polzin, 13 months, who has a rare form of cancer and may be part of the clinical trial. Picture: John Appleyard

Detailed laboratory analysis of tumour samples will help identify the drugs most likely to kill each child’s specific cancer.

Sherie Polzin and daughter Ava. Picture: John Appleyard
Sherie Polzin and daughter Ava. Picture: John Appleyard

Professor Tracey O’Brien, director of the Kids’ Cancer Centre, said the program was a “game changer” in the treatment of high-risk cancer in children.

“As the Zero Childhood Cancer program is implemented, and as we gather more information, we will improve our capacity to identify the most effective treatment for each child’s cancer,” she said.

“Despite the dramatic increase in childhood cancer survival rates over the last 60 years from virtually zero to 80 per cent, three children and adolescents die every week in Australia from cancer.

“The challenge in curing every child is that each child’s cancer is unique.

“Every day on our wards we face the challenge of trying to find the best possible treatment for each child with cancer, especially those with the most aggressive cancers.

“It is a balance finding specific treatments that will kill the cancer cells but minimise harm to the child.”

Sherie Polzin, whose 13-month-old daughter has acute infantile lymphoblastic leukaemia and will have a bone-marrow transplant, said if little Ava relapsed she would take part in the trials.

Rachel Hilditch and her son Gabe Smith, 13, who has a rare, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT) and is being treated at the Sydney Children’s Hospital, will be a part of the clinical trial. Picture: John Appleyard
Rachel Hilditch and her son Gabe Smith, 13, who has a rare, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT) and is being treated at the Sydney Children’s Hospital, will be a part of the clinical trial. Picture: John Appleyard

“She has had three cycles of chemotherapy between April and now,” the mum-of-three said.

“Now we have had advice there are still some slight trace of leukaemia in her cells.”

Mrs Polzin, of Goulburn, said Ava had been an inpatient at the Sydney Children’s Hospital for nearly six months which had put a strain on her family and two older sons Connor, 15, and Blake, 10.

“She will need a bone-marrow transplant,” she said. “One of my sons was a perfect match for her. Because she is quite little and she’s still growing, there may be some side-effects as she gets older for instance how it might affect her organs.

“There is still a chance she might relapse but hopefully she will be fine. If she does, we will go on to the clinical trials.”

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt meets with Rachel Hilditch and her son Gabe. Picture: John Appleyard
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt meets with Rachel Hilditch and her son Gabe. Picture: John Appleyard

Rachel Hilditch, whose 13-year-old son Gabe has a rare, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT) and will take part in the clinical trials, said he was diagnosed last year after he kept getting sick at school.

An MRI revealed a tumour close to his brain stem requiring surgery during which he suffered a stroke, losing mobility­ on his left side. He has since undergone chemotherapy and radiation.

Professor Michelle Haber, executive director of Children’s Cancer Institute, said personalised treatment provided by the Zero Childhood Cancer program gave children the best chance of survival because it was based on information such as individual genetic mutations.

The clinical trials followed a pilot study started in 2015 which put in place the logistics and laboratory testing needed to analyse patient tumours and get results back to doctors quickly.

It will be expanded out to other cities over the coming months as part of a staged roll out with 400 Australian children expected to take part over the next three years.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/southern-courier/clinical-trials-starting-at-randwick-will-help-hundreds-of-children-with-lifethreatening-cancers/news-story/f92907cdcf21bf5b26166a5203394cbf