The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Children’s Oncology Group (COG) announced open enrollment for a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of genetically matched targeted therapies for pediatric patients with cancer.1

NCI-COG Pediatric Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice (Pediatric MATCH) is a phase 2 trial that will assess 8 different drugs targeting specific sets of genetic mutations in solid tumors no longer responsive to standard therapy or progressive after therapy.

Tumor types include histiocytoses, brain tumors, and non-Hodgkin lymphomas.


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To enroll in the study, a sample of the patient’s relapsed tumor must undergo DNA and RNA sequencing. Once matched, patients will continue to receive the study drug as long as the tumor is stable in size or shrinks.

Study researchers estimate that around 1000 patients will need to be screened to find eligible candidates for the study; the mutations being investigated are found in only about 10% of tumors from children and adolescents with cancer.

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The study will open initially with 6 treatment arms, and may expand to 8 or more. Each study arm will enroll at least 20 patients.

Reference

  1. NCI-COG pediatric MATCH trial to test targeted drugs in childhood cancers [news release]. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; July 24, 2017. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/2017/nci-pediatric-match-trial-opens?cid=eb_govdel. Accessed July 26, 2017.