Clinical trials evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new drugs or combinations of treatments. Many of the innovative therapies available at MSK Kids for children with neuroblastoma are investigational treatments being assessed in clinical trials. These include therapies that are not widely available elsewhere. We have more clinical trials of immunotherapy for neuroblastoma than any other hospital.
Can my child be in a clinical trial?
Your child’s care team will let you know if your child may be a candidate for any clinical trials. Our clinical research team is highly experienced in selecting the children who are most likely to benefit from a particular investigational therapy. We can guide you through the process of choosing the most appropriate clinical trial to meet your child’s needs. All aspects of a clinical trial are explained to you thoroughly, and your decision to enroll your child is entirely voluntary.
What kinds of therapies are being studied?
One of our approaches has been to take advantage of new drugs already in clinical trials for adults. Some of these drugs can enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy without adding side effects, especially in people with disease that has become resistant to standard treatment. Other therapies are designed to block the ability of neuroblastoma cells to spread. You can find studies of such treatments as antibodies, cancer vaccines, and other immunotherapies. These studies often offer treatment options for people with neuroblastoma that has continued to grow or that came back despite prior therapies.
Translational Research for Neuroblastoma
In addition to our clinical researchers, MSK Kids has laboratory investigators who are exploring how neuroblastoma develops, spreads, and resists treatment. We work with clinical researchers to translate the findings of those studies into new options for young patients. The findings of clinical trials can inform new avenues of study.
