Phase I Trials Occasionally there are drugs to be tested in children for the first time. Research protocols involving new drugs are called Phase I studies. The goal is to find the appropriate dose to be used, with the hope that the children will respond to the treatment.
Investigational Treatments There is a long list of investigational protocols for most childhood cancers. These protocols are devised after close cooperation and collaboration among investigators working in the Children's Cancer Group or Pediatric Oncology Group or at specific centers of excellence.
The protocols may involve new drugs that have rarely been used in children, such as interferon or IL-2 (interleukin-2). Or they may involve new types of radiation therapy such as high-dose radiation given in a series of small doses (fractionated radiotherapy).
Most pediatric cancer experts consider such programs not experimental but rather investigational. They hope these protocols will benefit the child being treated today and provide an opportunity to gain knowledge that might aid in the treatment of the next generation of childhood cancer patients.
Bone Marrow Transplantation Several treatment programs for childhood cancer use the concept of bone marrow transplantation. Although it has proven effective for some diseases, its role in other diseases is investigational ( see Bone Marrow Transplantation ).
