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Blumenthal Oncology Associates Pediatric Program participates in the Children's Oncology Group (COG), a National Cancer Institute-supported, clinical research trial cooperative group. COG is devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research.

The following pediatric research protocols available for the treatment of cancer:

• POG A3961 - This protocol is for patients with intermediate risk neuroblastoma. Its purpose is to determine if less anticancer treatment can be used with the same cure rates. chemotherapy treatments will be given every three weeks for three to six months.
• POG A5971 - This protocol is for patients with lymphoblastic lymphoma. Its purpose is to compare the effectiveness of four different drug treatment regimens. Participation in the study will last two years.
• CALGB # 9710 - This protocol is for patients with untreated acute promyelocytic leukemia. Its purpose is to look at the effectiveness and toxicity of the drugs arsenic trioxide and tretinoin. The treatment will last for last 19 months.
• POG 9761 - This protocol is for childhood cancers that have been resistant to standard treatment. Its purpose is to evaluate which tumors respond to the drug irinotecan. Irinotecan is given by vein over one hour daily for five consecutive days. The treatment may be repeated every 21 days. Participation in this study will last three years or until the tumor becomes resistant or the side effects become intolerable.
• POG # 9904 - This protocol is for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with low risk features. Its purpose is to evaluate the use of lower doses of methotrexate chemotherapy with mpatient that have the mutation trisomy 4/10.
• POG # 9905 - This protocol is for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with standard risk features. Its purpose is to evaluate the use of methotrexate by vein and and the use of a stronger chemotherapy block will further lower the risk of relapse and increase the likelihood of cure. Participation in this study will last 30 months.
• POG # 9906 - This protocol is for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with high risk features. The treatment program, augmented BFM, has shown promise in acute leukemia patients that are at high risk for relapse. The treatment program involves two years of therapy, provide the patient remains in remission.
• COG P9934 - This protocol is for patients with medulloblastoma or posterior fossa primitive neuroectodermal tumor. Its purpose is to examine the safety and effectiveness of giving a combination of four anti-cancer drugs followed by a second surgery to remove any remaining cancer, followed by radiation therapy. Four courses of chemotherapy will be given for a total of 16 weeks followed by six weeks of radiation therapy, followed by eight months of maintenance chemotherapy .
• COG A9952 - This protocol is for patients with low-grade glioma (cancer of the brain). Its purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment with two combinations of chemotherapy . The standard of treatment for low-grade gliomas is surgery followed by radiation therapy. The chemotherapy is be evaluated as a replacement therapy for radiation for the treatment of low grade gliomas in young children, who may be more susceptible to the long-term side effects of radiation on the brain. The patient will be randomized to one of two chemotherapy treatments, carboplatin and vincristine given by vein for 12 weeks or thioguanine, procarbazine and CCNU (given by mouth) and vincristine given by vein for 12 weeks. Radiation therapy will not be given unless the tumor shows signs of growing despite the chemotherapy .
• COG P9962 - This protocol is for patients with cancer that has spread to the meninges (tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord). Its purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of giving chemotherapy directly into the cerebrospinal fluid in children and adolescents with cancer that spread to meninges. The anti-cancer drug topotecan is given twice a week for six weeks, then given once a week for four weeks, then topotecan will be given twice a month for four months then once a month therafter. The total treatment time is one year.
• COG P9963 - This protocol is for patients with cancer which has continued to grow despite treatment with standard therapy. Its purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of the experimental anti-cancer drug Rebeccamycin Analogue with tumor types that have progressed. Rebeccamycin will given by vein on the first day of a 21-day treatment course. Depending on the response, treatments will continue for 11 months.
• COG AEWS0031 - This protocol is for patients with Ewing Sarcoma or a tumor similar to Ewing Sarcoma. Its purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of giving chemotherapy every two weeks versus chemotherapy every three weeks. Patients are randomized to either the two-week treatment or the three-week treatment. The total amount of chemotherapy will be the same on each regimen, the only difference is the length of time between each treatment. The anti-cancer drugs vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and etoposide, by vein, will used in this study.
• COG A2971 - This protocol is for patients with Down Syndrome that has developed abnormal blood cells. These abnormal cells indicate that the patient has either a type of leukemia called acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a pre-cancerous condition called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), or a potentially cancerous condition called transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD). The purpose of this study is to determine if patients with Down Syndrome and AML or MDS can be cured with fewer anti-cancer drugs. Patients with TMD will receive either 1) observation only; 2) an exchange transfusion or leukophoresis; and/or 3) chemotherapy with the drug cytarabine. Patients with AML, MDS, or persistent or recurrent TMD will receive treatment with the drugs cytarabine, daunorubicin, 6-thioguanine, and L-asparaginase.