Cure Childhood Cancer

Edward’s cancer journey started on a Saturday morning in November 2017 while his soccer team was preparing to take on another team of four-year-olds. But instead of running onto the field, Edward didn’t want to play because his belly hurt. That day his life changed forever.

“In a few hours, we went from a stomachache to a cancer diagnosis,” said Edward’s father, Andrew. “Edward had a large mass in his abdomen that had already spread to his chest and bone marrow.”

Edward was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer in which malignant cells form from immature nerve tissue. Following the standard treatment protocol, Edward began countless rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, endured nine surgeries, battled through two bone marrow transplants, and entered clinical trials. Sadly, even with those extensive treatments and their awful side effects, residual cancer remained.

Both of Edward’s parents are surgeons, and his father, Andrew, specializes in abdominal cancers. As a result, Andrew not only knew the prognosis of his son’s cancer, he also understood the value of molecular testing used in precision medicine.

“Precision medicine has changed the approach for difficult to manage cancers,” Andrew explained. “The concept of targeting pathways to stop tumor growth has changed the landscape for cancer treatment, as it can be more effective and less toxic than the standard chemotherapies. Precision medicine is like shooting cancer with a sniper, as opposed to shooting the whole patient with a shotgun.”

While precision medicine has been used to diagnose and treat adult cancers for years, it is very new to children. Thanks to CURE’s investment, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta now boasts one of the nation’s leading precision medicine programs, offering this innovative treatment to children with cancer. After Edward completed years of standard treatment, which ultimately failed, he was enrolled in the program, and a sample of his tumor was sent for analysis.

“Genetic testing revealed that the relapsed cancer in his chest had a very specific mutation which was not present in the original tumor,” Andrew said. “Fortunately, the mutation has a drug that is proven to work against it.”

Finally, this drug put Edward into remission. He is now cancer-free! Every day, Edward takes a pill that targets the cancer, ideally preventing recurrence. Today, he is healthy and strong and loves to spend his time outdoors. Since he had a kidney removed as part of his cancer treatment, he had to give up soccer. He now enjoys gardening and possesses a knowledge of plants well beyond that of most eight-year-olds. His family is so grateful for the opportunity to help him plant flowers.

“If it weren’t for the use of precision medicine, I am confident that Edward would not be with us today,” said Andrew. “The collaboration between Edward’s aggressive surgeon, Dr. Clifton, combined with Edward’s forward-thinking oncologist, Dr. Cash, unquestionably saved Edward’s life. Precision medicine is the way of the future, and our family is thankful for CURE’s investment in it.”