Accomplishments for the Division of Hematology / Oncology
Under the leadership of Frank Smith, MD,
who joined Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center as
director of the Division of
Hematology / Oncology in 2001, the division has worked
systematically to further expand and strengthen our
well-established cancer program.
Over the last four years, Hematology / Oncology has recruited
highly accomplished faculty and has transitioned from a generalist
to a disease-specific approach, where the entire care team —
doctors, nurses, social workers and others — have
disease-specific expertise. Process improvement initiatives within
the division have resulted in more efficient, more effective and
more family-centered
care.
Research has long been an important focus of the cancer program
at Cincinnati Children's. In the last four years, Hematology /
Oncology has significantly strengthened the infrastructure to
support cutting-edge clinical
trials, has strengthened its ability to conduct Phase I trials,
and has begun pioneering translational research studies in
collaboration with scientists in the Division of
Experimental Hematology.
Major Accomplishments in 2005
The Ohio State University Cancer Center / Cincinnati Children's
Pediatric Oncology Program
- Established formal affiliation with The Ohio State
University Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of just 39
centers across the United States designated by the National Cancer Institute as comprehensive cancer
centers
- David Williams, MD,
director of the Division of
Experimental Hematology at Cincinnati Children's, is
co-director of the new research consortium
- Consortium will take advantage of strengths of both
institutions to benefit pediatric and adult cancer patients
- Partners will collaborate on gene therapy trial for brain
tumor
- Planning similar trial for patients with esophageal
cancer
Gene therapy trials
- Launched gene therapy trial for Fanconi anemia
(FA)
- Finalized protocol and received all needed regulatory
approval to launch gene therapy trial for brain tumor; patients
to be enrolled in fall 2005
Targeted therapy for neuroblastoma
- Approved as the fourth site in the United States for MIGB
treatment. MIGB is a drug containing a radioactive substance that
specifically targets neuroblastoma
- Finalized preparations and staff training to launch MIGB
protocol; patients to be enrolled in fall 2005
Phase I studies
- Opened 12 new Phase I trials and enrolled eight patients
- Now have 18 open Phase I trials in progress, with 11 patients
enrolled
Bone marrow transplantation
- Performed 1,000th bone marrow transplant since the bone
marrow transplantation program was established in 1981
