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NCT Number: NCT05504772

Precision Medicine for Every Child With Cancer

To improve outcomes for childhood cancer patients through the implementation of precision medicine.

Recruiting

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Key information

Age range

0 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia

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About this study

Through the pilot TARGET and national PRISM trials the feasibility and benefits of using comprehensive molecular profiling and preclinical drug testing in real time for high-risk (HR) patients has been demonstrated. However, the role of precision medicine, especially in facilitating diagnosis and risk stratification in non-HR childhood cancers has not been studied. Integrative tumor-germline whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis has the potential to advance our understanding of cancer predisposition. In this study, the ZERO platform will be extended to all children with cancer in Australia and New Zealand, evaluating the benefits of precision medicine in different childhood cancer types and risk groups.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age < 18 years Note: Individual patients aged 19 - 25 years old with a pediatric cancer, e.g., neuroblastoma, may be enrolled after discussion with, and at the discretion of, the Study Chair or their delegate.
  • Life expectancy >6 weeks at time of enrolment
  • Consent i. Signed and dated informed consent for study enrolment from participant aged ≥ 18 years or from parent/guardian of participant aged <18 years. ii. Separate signed and dated informed consent for understanding the role of germline testing and choice for the return of germline results.

Treatment and study plan

Whole Genome Sequencing

Genetic

Each tumor sample will be sequenced and analyzed in parallel with its matched normal (germline DNA from the same patient) to enable the identification of somatic aberrations.

RNA seq

Genetic

Results will be used for bioinformatics analysis for fusion transcripts and gene expression.

DNA Methylation

Genetic

Genome-wide assessment of DNA methylation will be conducted on all samples where possible.

Targeted Panel Sequencing

Genetic

Targeted panel sequencing may be performed:

  • When WGS is not feasible or appropriate, e.g., insufficient DNA from fresh or frozen sample or only Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) material is available
  • When mosaicism is suspected
  • When indicated for a disease type

High Throughput Sequencing (in vitro)

Genetic

High throughput drug screening will be attempted for tumors from Cohort 1 (high-risk cancers with survival <30%) and selected tumor types.

Patient Derived Xenograft (PDX)(in vivo)

Genetic

In vivo drug testing in patient derived xenograft (PDX) will be attempted for tumors from Cohort 1 (high-risk cancers) and selected tumor types.

Liquid Biopsy

Other

Liquid biopsy will be investigated as a non-invasive method for diagnosis of tumors that are difficult to biopsy directly, understanding tumor heterogeneity, monitoring of treatment response, and detection of minimal residual disease (MRD)/relapse in leukemia, solid and CNS tumors.

Primary outcomes

  1. Utility of recommended personalized therapy for HR childhood cancer patients.

    Time frame: 5 years

    Disease control rate (stable disease + partial response + complete response) in HR patients who have received recommended personalized therapy which are molecularly and/or preclinically directed

  2. Utility of recommended personalized therapy for non-HR childhood cancer patients.

    Time frame: 5 years

    The proportion of non-HR patients for whom the disease specific, clinically relevant, virtual molecular panel provides additional or equivalent results for diagnosis and risk stratification when compared with routine diagnostic tests.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Utility of pre-defined virtual molecular panel for non-HR childhood cancer patients.

    Time frame: 5 years

    The proportion of non-HR patients for whom a pre-defined virtual molecular panel; leads to a streamline molecular report issued within 4 weeks from receipt of samples, changes or refines the initial histopathological diagnosis, changes or refines risk stratification at diagnosis, changes or refines treatment at diagnosis and/or facilitates enrolment in clinical trials requiring prior molecular studies.

  2. Utility of comprehensive precision medicine for patients with rare tumors in childhood.

    Time frame: 5 years

    Proportion of rare cancer cohort patients for which comprehensive precision medicine improves diagnosis, identifies at least one therapeutic target or facilitates improvement in therapy within a clinically relevant timeframe.

  3. Utility of Molecular Tumour Board (MTB) recommendation tier system for HR childhood cancer patients.

    Time frame: 5 years

    Evaluation of the correlation of MTB recommendation tier to treatment outcome, clinician rated value of MTB recommendation tier in facilitating therapeutic decision and drug access and proportion of HR patients for which the MTB recommendation improves diagnosis, risk stratification or facilitates improvement in therapy within a clinically relevant timeframe.

  4. Utility of preclinical testing in HR childhood cancer patients.

    Time frame: 5 years

    Evaluation of proportion of tumors where in vitro sensitivity testing can be successfully performed compared with PRISM trial, turnaround time for preclinical in vitro and in vivo drug testing, proportion of tumors where in vitro drug sensitivity identifies additional molecular drivers and proportion of patients for whom preclinical testing:

    i. Facilitates therapeutic decision ii. Identifies additional therapeutic options in patients for whom genomic profiling did not identify molecular targets iii. Predicts clinical outcome

  5. Clinical utility of germline WGS in patients with childhood cancers.

    Time frame: 5 years

    Evaluation of;

    • Proportion of HR and non-HR patients with a reportable germline finding (i. For whom the result was not previously known ii. For whom the results would have been missed using current clinical testing criteria)
    • Proportion of patients for whom medical management for the current cancer and future cancer risk has been altered based on the germline findings
  6. Treatment outcome in HR childhood cancer patients who have received recommended personalised therapy which are molecularly and/or preclinically directed.

    Time frame: 5 years

    Evaluation of;

    • Objective response in patients who have received single agent versus combination personalized therapy
    • Disease control (stable disease + partial response + complete response) in patients who have received a single agent versus combination personalized therapy
    • Progression-free interval (PFI) ratio: PFI personalized therapy : PFI conventional therapy
    • Difference in outcome between patients have received recommended personalised therapy and those who did not (i. Proportion of patients without progression or death at 6 and 12 months between the two groups ii. Difference in progression-free and overall survival between the two groups)

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

National Study Coordinator

CONTACT

[email protected]

+61 2 9382 3102

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Australian & New Zealand Children's Haematology/Oncology Group

Other

Collaborators

  • Children's Cancer Institute (CCI)
  • Medical Research Future Fund
  • Minderoo Foundation

Registry information

Acronym: ZERO2

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2030
First posted
Aug 17, 2022
Registry last updated
Jul 17, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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