September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is highlighting advances in treatment and research that are helping improve care for children and families across southwestern Ontario. For Nia Tsangaris, the past year has been a journey from cancer treatment back to the life she loves. “When I was diagnosed with Lymphoma, I never imagined how many people would be cheering me on.” The teenager is now in remission and back on her high school volleyball team. “Being here and then being out all the treatment and then coming out and going back to school after all this… it’s like just crazy” Her story is one example of the care being provided at Children’s Hospital, which serves families across the region. Dr. Alexandra Zorzi, division head of paediatric hematology oncology at Children’s Hospital, says childhood cancer is rare and more awareness is needed to support patients and their families. “Childhood cancer is rare. Less than seven per cent of Canadian research dollars go to childhood cancer research, and so raising awareness of children and families within our own home community that are struggling with this disease, and not only during their illness but afterwards as long term survivors, is important.” The hospital is also part of a national research collaboration exploring liquid biopsy technology. The approach uses samples such as blood or spinal fluid to help doctors learn more about a patient’s tumour and how it is responding to treatment. Dr. Chantel Cacciotti, a paediatric hematologist-oncologist at Children’s Hospital, says the technology could help doctors identify changes in a tumour and determine whether treatment is working. “It’s the concept that we take liquid from a patient, so either fluid from their spinal cord so CSF or liquid like blood. And through a process of evaluating that liquid we’re actually able to get information about what kind of tumor they have, whether their tumor is responding to the treatment that we’re giving them, or in cases if the tumor is coming back and no longer responding.” LHSC says researchers across Canada are working to standardize how those samples are collected and analyzed, helping lay the groundwork for future clinical trials. The goal is to make emerging research more accessible to patients while improving care for children and families. For Nia, the progress is personal. She says she’s grateful for the care that helped her get back to school, volleyball and the people she loves most.
