Hospital expands treatment options In St. Jude's early years, when most childhood cancers were fatal, the hospital's resources were directed toward identifying curative therapies in clinical studies of previously untreated patients. The success of this approach is illustrated by the St. Jude Total Therapy Studies for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which have resulted in cure rates approaching 75 percent. Still, too many children succumb to their disease, and some types of pediatric cancer remain largely incurable. Reaffirming St. Jude's commitment to children with seemingly hopeless diseases, the Board of Governors recently allocated resources for the treatment of patients whose cancer has relapsed after previous therapy at other institutions. This policy will provide the option of investigational therapies to many children for whom further treatment might otherwise be unavailable.
Eligibility is based solely on the availability of an appropriate clinical trial.
This policy is made possible by the generosity of countless donors who support the hospital's mission. Look's work focuses on the molecular genetics of childhood cancer and exemplifies the hospital's emphasis on bringing laboratory findings into clinical practice. Look's research has the ultimate goal of targeting therapy to individual patients. Also, our findings can clarify the diagnosis in difficult cases. Top performers convened at St. Jude to record personal messages for airplay during the radiothon.