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The main aim of our Leukaemia Translational Research Team is to test innovative therapeutic approaches, with a focus on clinical translation of this knowledge, to improve the outcomes of children suffering from leukaemia.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a proven curative therapy for children with high-risk myeloid malignancies. Disease relapse, transplant-related mortality and graft versus host disease (GvHD) are the main causes of treatment failure and death post-transplant. The optimum pretransplant conditioning regimen is yet to be defined. There is limited data regarding the use of busulfan, fludarabine and melphalan as a myeloablative conditioning regimen in children receiving HSCT for myeloid malignancies.
Rishi S. Kotecha MB ChB (Hons) MRCPCH FRACP PhD Co-Head, Leukaemia Translational Research rishi.kotecha@health.wa.gov.au Co-Head, Leukaemia
To determine the incidence, serotype distribution and clinical outcomes of invasive pneumococcal disease in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia following widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is one of the most treatable forms of paediatric cancer; however, there is a substantial burden of treatment-related toxicities (TRTs). In addition, the long-term changes in children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to toxic treatments are not well understood.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common childhood malignancy that remains a leading cause of death in childhood. It may be characterised by multiple known recurrent genetic aberrations that inform prognosis, the most common being hyperdiploidy.
Osteoporosis is a chronic skeletal condition characterized by low bone mass and deteriorated microarchitecture of bone tissue and puts tens of millions of people at high risk of fractures. New therapeutic agents like i-bodies, a class of next-generation single-domain antibodies, are needed to overcome some limitations of conventional treatments.
Infants with KMT2A-rearranged B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a dismal prognosis. Survival outcomes have remained static in recent decades despite treatment intensification and novel therapies are urgently required.
Outcomes for infants diagnosed under 1 year of age with KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have remained stagnant over the past 20 years. Successive treatment protocols have previously focused on intensification of conventional chemotherapy, but increased treatment-related toxicity and chemoresistance have led to a plateau in survival.
Invasive fungal disease (IFD) occurs less frequently during treatment for solid compared to hematological malignancies in children, and risk groups are poorly defined. Retrospective national multicenter cohort data (2004-2013) were analyzed to document prevalence, clinical characteristics, and microbiology of IFD.