Transforming the Diagnosis & Treatment of Children with Cancer

Nationwide Children's Hospital works with The National Cancer Institute (NCI)and Children’s Oncology Group (COG) to change the direction of pediatric cancer diagnosis and care.

New results from international efforts to characterize pediatric cancers have led to the development of a project that analyzes molecular data to help clinicians determine the best treatment for each child, faster. This project is known as the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) Molecular Characterization Initiative (MCI).

The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s contributes two vital parts of this initiative:

1. The Biopathology Center at Nationwide Children’s houses the Biospecimen Core Resource Center, the repository for the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Genomics since 2009.

This repository stores pediatric cancer samples from children all over the world. These samples serve as a library for researchers and clinicians everywhere. The data available here has contributed to hundreds of published studies, including a series of breakthrough reports on common cancers that were the focus of the national Cancer Genome Atlas Project.

2. At the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine (IGM), genomics staff can use DNA and RNA to diagnose and provide actionable information to clinicians in just 21 days.

“With these results impacting patient care, time is of the essence,” explains Nilsa Ramirez, MD, director of the Biopathology Center at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute. “We complete the process from receipt of the specimens at our center through final analysis in the IGM within 21 days, which is an exceptional turnaround time for this process. We’re proud to be an essential part of this pioneering initiative.”

The largest initiative of its kind in the United States, MCI enrolled their first patient March 31, 2022. Since then:

1,236 Patients have provided samples

47

120

Samples have been received from 47 STATES and 120 INTERNATIONAL patients

1,137

Samples were of sufficient quality and quantity for molecular analysis

166 of 226 Children's Oncology Group affiliates have enrolled patients