Understanding Childhood Cancer With Dr Geoff

CAR T-cell therapy is an exciting new treatment for acute leukaemia. In this episode, Dr Geoff interviews his colleague Dr Caroline Bateman about CAR T-cells and introducing the treatment option to her unit.

There is a special subtype of neuroblastoma seen in very young children, with spread of disease throughout the body, but which needs a very different approach to treatment compared to older children with metastatic disease. This episode explains the features of this stage MS neuroblastoma, the early problems, and the treatment used.

Childhood cancer treatment leads to severe impairment of the ability to fight infections. This episode explains what immune suppression means, what causes it, and the problems that result.

A few years ago I described CAR T-cells, but they weren't available for routine use. I now update things, with the very important news about CAR T-cell therapy now becoming available. There is also an interview with Dr Caroline Bateman re this subject in another episode.

We take a lot of blood samples looking for infection in the bloodstream. This episode explains what blood cultures are all about.

A number of countries have research studies where childhood cancers are analysed in great detail, testing all the DNA in something called 'molecular profiling'. The national Australian study of this is called PRISM, and it is a very exciting project. This episode explains a molecular profiling project and covers issues of obtaining informed consent from parents and patients as well.

The MEK inhibitors are a newer class of drug, and include trametinib, selumetinib and others. They have an important role in paediatric oncology, particularly in glioma treatment and in neurofibromatosis.

For many years we didn't biopsy the tumour when the scans suggested that the tumour was a DIPG. This episode explains why that has changed, and the emerging role of biopsy.