A Note of Encouragement from a Cancer Mom

A Note of Encouragement from a Cancer Mom Written by Sarah Mersdorf-Foreman, Levi’s mom The other day, I took on the task of cleaning out the hallway medicine/medical supply closet (aka the family-owned pharmacy). This froze me.     This is the type of needle that was used weekly to access Levi’s port for his…


Using engineered immune cells to treat DIPG, a devastating brain tumor in kids

Using engineered immune cells to treat DIPG, a devastating brain tumor in kids Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), also known as diffuse midline glioma, is a devastating type of pediatric brain cancer. The tumor is very aggressive and located deep within the brain, making it difficult to treat. The majority of DIPG tumors are caused…


Colorado researchers taking two-pronged approach in search for new AT/RT cancer treatments

Generally, there are two ways to discover a new cancer drug: You can use basic science to discover a cancer’s Achille’s heel and then find or build a drug that exploits it, or you can try a bunch of drugs on cancer cells and see what works. Think of the basic science approach as building…


Your support funds research to stop cancer treatments from causing more cancer

Children’s Hospital Colorado oncologist Adam Green, MD, understands the risks of whole-brain radiation, but sometimes it’s an important part of the cure for cancers like medulloblastoma or high-risk leukemia. The problem is that in addition to the long-term cognitive challenges that can accompany this use of radiation, the treatment can actually cause new cancers: About…


Research identifies ‘genetic switch’ that may protect brain cancer stem cells

Chemotherapy and radiation kill rapidly dividing cells, a hallmark of cancer (and hair). However, cancer stem cells do not divide rapidly and so tend to resist these treatments. And while these stem cells make up only a small percentage of a tumor’s bulk, if only a small population survives treatment, they can often regrow a…


New cancer drug shows promise in treating deadly pediatric brain tumors

High-grade glioma (HGG) is the leading cause of cancer death among children. HGGs are fast-growing tumors in the brain or spinal cord that arise from glial cells. Glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse midline glioma (which includes most diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas or DIPGs) are two types of high-grade glioma most often seen in children. Led by…