Children with cancer in the United Kingdom will have their tumor DNAs sequenced in order to find the best cure that will help them. This came after a leading cancer charity donated £1.5M for research funding.
The charity, Children with Cancer UK, decided to fund the initial stage of the program from Institute of Cancer Research, which proposed to develop more precise and effective treatment for children with cancer in the country. The proposal also promised less aggressive side effects, Techno Examiner shared.
The program is set to allow 300 children with cancer in the United Kingdom undergo other forms of treatment if they do not respond well to traditional therapies such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Institute of Cancer Research chief executive Professor Paul Workman says the funding will help mark the first time children with the disease will have access to personalized medicine just for them as it will target the actual DNA Changes on all the patients, as per Yahoo! News .
Workman added, "This funding from Children with Cancer UK is fantastic; it's going to be transformative." The process will be kinder to the body and he believed it is more effective.
Such alternative is already available to adult patients with cancer but this is the first time it is used to kids. The program will also allow the UK to catch up to the advancements in the United States and Europe in terms of treating children with cancer.
Two of the reasons that such process was not yet available to kids were due to lack of a proven gene test and pharmaceutical companies having second thoughts investing on the matter. Workman said they are in the process of developing the gene test needed to study the DNA of children with cancer.
Meanwhile, researchers of the process hope to develop it more. They also hope more children with cancer will have access to such treatment.
