SDF Grants $85,000 To Launch Ewing Sarcoma Precision Medicine Program

The Sam Day Foundation has partnered with the Spada Pediatric Sarcoma Foundation to fund an innovative program developed by the hard work of the Beat Childhood Cancer Consortium and North Carolina’s Atrium Health, and led by Dr. Giselle Sholler. The program is designed to offer a treatment plan for kids based on their tumor profile as well as their diagnosis!

This fund will help drive genomic sequencing for kids battling Ewing sarcoma, using whole exome sequencing to look at both DNA and RNA to discover tumor pathways and targets with a goal of developing new clinical trials.

Young people with the same sarcoma diagnosis still respond differently to treatment because every tumor has a complicated subset of variations. Instead of guessing which regimen might work, this program uses an analysis of the tumor, a careful review by a tumor board, and a combination of existing drugs to develop a personalized treatment plan, with some opportunity available for ultra-rare sarcomas as well.

Several hospitals around the country will participate in this program, including Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland! This is a highly motivating factor for SDF because it means kids in the Pacific NW can have access to this opportunity without facing the massive financial and logistical obstacles of relocating.

In addition to personalized treatment, the tissue and data collected by every enrolled patient will help to advance research and develop new clinical trials using existing drugs.

Believe it or not, this new opportunity for childhood sarcoma clinical care and research begins immediately! New options, new discoveries, new hope.

- UPDATE JUNE 2022 -

Precision Medicine for Solid Tumors

There is now a precision medicine approach available for young patients with solid tumors such as Ewing, osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms, and more! Patients can contribute to research and receive specially designed treatment based on an extensive genomic and transcriptomic analysis of their tumor. 

If you are a parent of a child dealing with a high-risk solid tumor, take a close look at the In:Formation project. Sites are available around the country, including Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon.