The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) is the pediatric cancer center for western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. We are a multidisciplinary pediatric oncology team with 6 chemotherapists, 2 radiation oncologists, 4 pathologists, 5 surgeons (including 1 neuro- and 1 orthopedic surgeon), 1 radiologist, and a support team which includes nurse specialists, a social worker, psychiatric liaison, data managers, and secretarial support. Our primary aims over the past two years have been increased participation in the Children's Cancer Study Group (CCSG) through increased patient accrual and increased committee involvement, as well as development of a laboratory and clinical research base. Our particular interests in the laboratory have been focused on 2 areas: i) hormonal interactions with cancer cells, which we are studying in collaboration with the division of endocrinology at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; ii) identification of histochemical and immunologic markers for a variety of solid tumors. Clinically, our primary thrust has been in the area of late effects of cancer therapy. For example, in an ongoing study, preliminary results suggest that children with leukemia who have received 2400r cranial radiation have reduced spontaneous pulsatile secretion of growth hormone, a finding which may in part be responsible for the short stature which has been observed in these patients. In another prospective study, which is in progress, we are looking at the effect of testicular relapse of leukemia on testicular endocrine function. The results of these studies will be important in designing new therapeutic regimens with fewer late effects. Other areas of ongoing and planned clinical investigation include complications of broviac catheters, and experimental chemotherapy (e.g., deoxycoformycin). We plan over the next 5 years to pursue these areas both as a part of CCSG and as an independent organization. Our own studies will be done with non-CCSG funding but will utilize our CCSG protocol patients with the goal of accruing data which ultimately will be of benefit to the entire Group. To facilitate these plans we anticipate recruiting additional faculty, computerizing our data base and tumor registry, as well as acquisition of more space as a result of the current expansion of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
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