November 1, 2016

11216cancercenterdocsinside640Texas Children’s Cancer Center Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine will lead a statewide effort to understand the causes of childhood cancer through development of the Adolescent and Childhood Cancer Epidemiology and Susceptibility Service for Texas, or ACCESS-Texas, with support from a $6 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

“Much progress has been made in the treatment of childhood cancer, but in most cases we still don’t know why children get cancer,” said Dr. Michael Scheurer, Texas Children’s Cancer Center and ACCESS-Texas director and associate professor of pediatrics – hematology/oncology at Baylor. “The vast majority occur with no recognizable cause.”

ACCESS-Texas will focus on identifying genetic risk factors and gene-environment interactions that may lead to susceptibility to cancer among children and adolescents. A diverse population of children newly diagnosed with cancer and their parents will be enrolled in the program at eight childhood cancer treatment centers across the state: Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor, Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, UT Southwestern/Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Vannie Cook Children’s Cancer Clinic in McAllen and Texas Tech University children’s hospitals in Lubbock, Amarillo and El Paso.

“It is our mission to find a cure for all children with cancer, and ACCESS-Texas will help us understand why certain children get cancer, a critical step in finding cures,” said Dr. David Poplack, director of Texas Children’s Cancer Center, professor of pediatrics at Baylor, and deputy director of Baylor’s Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The program will include data collection through a risk-factor questionnaire of patients and their parents focusing on sociodemographics, lifestyle, clinical risk factors, family history of cancer and other diseases, environmental and occupational exposures and maternal and infant diet. In addition, blood and saliva samples will be collected along with key clinical and follow-up data, including tumor pathology and staging and molecular characterization of the tumor, treatment summaries and treatment toxicities and late-effects. All of these data and the biospecimens will be banked in a central repository accessible to researchers conducting family-based studies of genetic risk factors for childhood cancer and gene-environmental interaction studies.

Recent research has identified genetic risk factors for common childhood cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and neuroblastoma, but many other cancers have yet to be evaluated using a genome-wide approach. In addition, few gene-environment links that may lead to cancer susceptibility have been fully evaluated. A centralized facility that gives researchers access to the data to conduct large-scale research projects is a much needed resource in the state to advance current research, Scheurer said.

“The resources gathered through ACCESS-Texas would place Texas researchers in a better position to develop and lead international collaborations to explore novel risk factors for childhood cancers,” he said. “Once we more fully understand the causes of childhood cancers, we can then start to develop prevention strategies.”

“A major goal of our program is to understand the causes of childhood cancer, so we can detect the cancers earlier to make treatments more effective,” said Dr. James Amatruda, professor of pediatrics, internal medicine and molecular biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “We’re excited to be collaborating with colleagues across the state through ACCESS-Texas.”

Enrollment of Hispanic patients and families also is an important aspect of the program. “This is a highly vulnerable population,” Scheurer said. “Hispanics generally have higher rates of cancer and worse outcomes, and the opportunity to collect data and conduct research that may help us understand the reasons for this is very important.”

The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio is one site involved in the new program that cares for many Hispanic patients. “The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio is proud and excited to participate in this important statewide resource, the outcomes of which will greatly impact our understanding of children’s cancer,” said Dr. Vivienne Marshall, professor of pediatrics and director of clinical research at the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Clinical Research Center at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. “We serve a unique population that is often under-represented in national studies, so this is a significant opportunity to further advance knowledge that will benefit our children.”

ACCESS-Texas is built on a similar but smaller-scale program already in place at Texas Children’s Cancer Center that has resulted in significant research findings, including the first genome-wide assessment of maternal genetic effects among pediatric ALL patients and a study evaluating the role of gene-nutrient interactions on ALL risk.

October 4, 2016

10516devonstillvisit640The Houston Texans Devon Still and TORO recently paid a special visit to Texas Children’s Hospital in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and in celebration of the hospital’s title game on October 2 vs. the Tennessee Titans.

During their hour-long stay, Still and TORO visited with patients who are battling cancer. The duo also signed autographs and brought smiles to the faces of families on the hospital’s inpatient cancer unit. The event wrapped up with Still reading the children’s book he wrote along with his 6-year-old daughter, Leah Still. Titled “I Am Leah Strong,” the book is about Leah’s fight with pediatric cancer.

Leah was diagnosed with neuroblastoma stage 4 cancer two years ago. Since then, she has undergone surgery to remove her cancerous tumor and surrounding lymph nodes. Doctors deemed Leah cancer-free this year.

Leah’s father has been one of her biggest supporters during her recovery, spending weeks sleeping next to her in the hospital while she was literally fighting for her life. Today, Still shares his family’s experience with others who are going through similar situations in an effort to comfort them and give them hope.

His visit to Texas Children’s Hospital was no exception. Patients and their family members laughed and cried while Still took the time to read to and visit with them.

Still’s visit was the result of Texas Children’s partnership with the Houston Texans. Texas Children’s teamed up with the professional football team earlier this year to inspire children to lead healthier, more active lives through camps, programs and events all year long. For more details about the hospital’s partnership with the Texans click here.

You can read more about “I Am Leah Strong” here.

September 20, 2016

92116laceup4life640On September 9, Texas Children’s Hospital hosted the fourth annual Lace Up 4 Life inpatient walk in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Patients and staff on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit participated in the walk on the inpatient and outpatient floor to raise awareness for Be The Match®, the largest and most diverse bone marrow registry in the world.

Patients on the unit are immunocompromised and were able to participate in the walk in a way that is safe as they undergo treatment. Each year, thousands of children are diagnosed with blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma, sickle cell anemia or other life-threatening diseases. Seventy percent of people do not have a donor in their family and depend on Be The Match® Registry to find a match to save their life.

With a rotating disco ball projecting an array of bright colors on the walls of the unit, the Bone Marrow Transplant staff pumped up the crowd with high energy music while patient families and staff waved flags and cheered on our courageous patients as they crossed the finish line.

The inpatient walk preceded the first annual Lace Up 4 Life Walk/Run in Sugar Land on September 10 where Bone Marrow Transplant staff, patients and their families teamed up to represent Texas Children’s Hospital.

Texas Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant team dubbed “Team Transplantors” raised funds to support the Gulf Coast Marrow Donor Program and to raise awareness about childhood cancer. The donations will support patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant to find a donor and receive treatment.

One of the most touching moments at the event was when a patient who underwent a bone marrow transplant at Texas Children’s met her bone marrow donor for the first time. Click here to watch the ABC-13 video. (It is the second video in the link.)

September 13, 2016

Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers is the largest cancer and blood disorder center in the country. Patients from all over the world come here to receive their care because they know this is the best possible place they could be.

When Carrie Richardson’s daughter, Peyton, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in January 2015, she knew from the moment she arrived at Texas Children’s, her daughter would be cared for by an incredible team of amazing nurses and oncologists that any parent of a sick child could ever hope for.

“Peyton has been cared for in the most empathetic, loving and encouraging way possible,” Richardson said. “The oncologists and their team of nurse practitioners work together so seamlessly because they are working together with the best intentions for each child undergoing treatment. The comfort that Dr. Dreyer gives Peyton reassures her that every treatment she receives is one step closer to ringing the golden bell on the 14th floor of the Cancer Center.”

Ranked no. 2 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Texas Children’s Cancer Center comprises a multidisciplinary team of dedicated and compassionate physicians, nurses, child life specialists, social workers and other subspecialists who care for the physical, emotional and psychosocial needs of young patients.

“A diagnosis of a child with a pediatric cancer affects the entire family,” said Aisha Jones, a social worker at the Cancer Center. “It’s our job to help families to cope, to provide resources, to be there to help them problem solve and just to be a support system throughout the course of treatment and thereafter.”

Besides providing world-class, comprehensive patient care, our oncologists are leading the way in advancing pediatric cancer research. The Cancer Center has 42 laboratories and nearly 400 people who are engaged in research to help revolutionize cutting-edge therapies for treating and ultimately curing all childhood cancers.

“We’re looking at different ways to develop therapies through nanotechnologies, cellular therapies, immune-based therapies that are really cutting edge and helping us to move the field forward,” said Dr. Susan Blaney, deputy director of Texas Children’s Cancer Center. “We are looking for the best cures with the least toxicities.”

Dr. David Poplack, director of Texas Children’s Cancer Center, applauds the remarkable progress that has been made in the cure of childhood cancers.

“More than 30 years ago, we were curing 20 percent of kids with cancer and losing 80 percent,” Poplack said. “Now, we are curing over 80 percent of cancer and losing less than 20 percent, which is an incredible statistic and a reflection of the remarkable success we’ve achieved.”

Poplack says the majority of children with cancer in this world aren’t in the United States or North America. They are in the developing countries throughout the world like in sub-Saharan Africa where Texas Children’s is growing a global oncology program in Botswana, Malawi and Uganda and a hematology program in Angola to treat children with sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disorder.

“We are building a unique program in sub-Saharan Africa so that we can bring knowledgeable physicians there to teach their physicians how to properly treat children with cancer,” said Dr. Parth Mehta, director of Texas Children’s Cancer Center’s Global Oncology Program. “Today in Botswana, we have an overall survival rate from pediatric cancer approaching 60 percent, which is unheard of in that region of the world.”

While major milestones have been reached in the field of pediatric oncology, Poplack says he and his team will continue to strive to reach their ultimate goal.

“We want to cure every child with cancer,” Poplack said. “Our job is not done until we cure 100 percent of kids and until we’re able to prevent these diseases.”

For Peyton’s mom, she knows that with each treatment, her daughter will be one step closer to ringing that golden bell. Peyton is in active treatment of her leukemia until 2017 but is doing exceptionally well and recently returned to school full time as a ninth grader. Her parents are grateful for her team of doctors at Texas Children’s.

“It takes a special person to care for children with cancer and the halls of the Cancer Center are filled with the most special people in this world,” Richardson said. “To know each nurse and each doctor is to love each of them like they are family.”

91416makingamark640Texas Children’s Cancer Center’s Making a Mark art exhibition is showing on The Auxiliary Bridge until Friday, October 7. Sponsored by the Periwinkle Foundation, this exhibit showcases art created by children ages 3 to 22 who have been affected by cancer and blood disorders. This exhibit will travel to seven other Texas locations.

A panel of judges selected purple ribbon pieces of art they felt most effectively represented Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

September 7, 2016

These days, it’s hard not to see gold throughout our hospital campus. From gold ribbons to gold T-shirts and gold pins worn by our physicians and staff, to a holiday tree decked out in gold, Texas Children’s Cancer Center is making a gold splash to raise community awareness about childhood cancer throughout the month of September.

“Going gold is a way for us both to honor the courageous journeys of our patients and families who have been touched by pediatric cancer and to create awareness on a national level about the challenges these children face,” said Dr. David Poplack, director of Texas Children’s Cancer Center. “This is also a special time to honor our staff and everyone involved in the care and support of our patients and their families at the Cancer Center.”

To officially kick off September’s cancer awareness activities, two gold ribbon tying ceremonies were held on September 1 and 2 – one on The Auxiliary Bridge at Texas Children’s Medical Center Campus and the other at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.

Along with remarks from Drs. Poplack, ZoAnn Dreyer, and Chaplain Pat Krinock, patients and their families, and the Cancer Center faculty and staff, were touched with emotion when Christian Spear, a former Texas Children’s patient and 17-year cancer survivor, sang “The Bell Song,” an inspirational song she co-wrote with Anita Kruse, founder and executive director of Purple Songs Can Fly.

“This is a special tribute to all of the children who are battling cancer right now,” Spear said. “The song’s lyrics are a constant reminder that a cure is very close.”

At West Campus, patients, families and staff celebrated Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with a “Go Gold” Parade. The procession of children riding tricycles and wagons decorated with gold ribbons started on the third floor and proceeded outside the entrance of the hospital where the ribbon tying ceremony was held.

West Campus Vice President Matt Schaefer and his sister-in-law, Kerri Schaefer, shared their stories of how a childhood cancer diagnosis impacted their family.

“Malachi’s diagnosis and subsequent battle with childhood cancer changed our family forever, just as it does all families,” Schaefer said. “Although my nephew has been gone more than nine years, we will never forget him or the incredible care that he and our family received at Texas Children’s Hospital.”

Throughout the month of September, the fenced walkway and garden area at West Campus and the gold banner on The Auxiliary Bridge will be adorned with 630 gold ribbons, one for each child diagnosed with pediatric cancer in the past year at Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

“It is estimated that more than 15,700 children nationwide will be diagnosed with a form of pediatric cancer by the end of this year,” Poplack said. “While we are curing 80 percent of pediatric cancers, as pediatric oncologists, our job is not over until every child is cured of this disease.”

View a photo gallery below. To learn more about Texas Children’s Cancer Center, click here.

Upcoming cancer awareness activities:

  • Friday, September 9 – Lace Up for Life Walk (1 p.m.), West Tower, eighth floor
  • Saturday, September 10 – Making a Mark opening reception (2 – 4 p.m.), The Auxiliary Bridge
  • Saturday, September 17 – Sickle Cell Education and Research Day (11 am. to 3 p.m.)
  • Friday, September 23 – Ewing Sarcoma Symposium (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), PFW fourth floor, E and F
  • Tuesday, September 27 – Visit/appearance by Houston Texans Devon Still (11 a.m.)

9716ChronicleCancerAd250Texas Children’s is the honored sponsor for every Tuesday’s “Houston Legends” series. We will showcase the legendary care Texas Children’s has provided since 1954, and focus on milestone moments in our unique history. Also, a complementary website offers a more detailed look at our past, our story and our breakthroughs.

On the right is the Texas Children’s ad that is featured in this week’s Chronicle. Click the ad to visit our companion website at texaschildrens.org/legendarycare. The website will change weekly to complement the newspaper ad, which will be published in section A of the Chronicle on Tuesdays for the next several weeks. We also will spotlight this special feature weekly on Connect, so stay tuned to learn and share our rich history.