Program Leader Katherine K. Matthay, MD Program Co-Leader William A. Weiss, MD, PhD

UCSF clinical care for pediatric cancers >

The goal of the Pediatric Malignancies Program is to improve, through basic and clinical translational research, the outcome for children with cancer.

Pediatric cancers are unique in their morphology, tissues of origin, and behavior. They provide an opportunity to understand the link between normal development and the aberrations of malignancy, the interactions of genetics and environment, and the late effects of treatment. The aims of the program are the following:

• to elucidate the molecular pathogenesis of childhood cancer by identifying important genes, proteins and pathways;

• to translate this information into improved diagnosis, classification, prediction of outcome, and treatment selection and epidemiological studies;

• to develop and conduct clinical Phase I, II, and III trials to improve survival;

• to study the late effects of therapy and improve the quality of life for survivors; and

• to train fellows, residents, and students in pediatric malignancies and mentor junior faculty with basic and clinical research training awards.

The Pediatric Malignancies Program has 25 members from 10 different academic departments. The main research interests of the program are molecular and genomic studies of pediatric malignancies (particularly neuroblastoma, CNS tumors, leukemias, and retinoblastoma), developmental therapeutics in neuroblastoma, brain tumors, and leukemia, and late effects and epidemiology of childhood cancer.

Program goals are enhanced by close synergy with other Cancer Center programs, such as Hematopoietic Malignancies, Neurologic Oncology, and Tobacco Control, as well as many interactions with scientists in other, basic science programs, such as Cancer and Immunity, Cell Cycling and Signaling, and Cancer Genetics.