Kate’s Project (part 10)

This page is now closed. Please continue to support Kate's Project here https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/unite/kates-project-2022

Our story

This page is now closed. Please continue to support Kate's Project here https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/unite/kates-project-2022 I’m fundraising to raise money for Cancer Research UK in memory of Kate Guthrie. Kate Guthrie was 16 months old when she was diagnosed with a rhabdomyosarcoma. She underwent two major surgeries, massive amounts of chemo and radiotherapy but at no stage did she lose her beautiful smile and the ability to make people laugh. Since Kate's death in 1994, her family have worked alongside CRUK in trying to find out why sarcomas occur. Over the past 8 years her family and friends have raised £689,000 to fund 13 research projects in Kate's memory. Dr Meriel Jenney is improving outcomes for newly diagnosed and relapsed children with rhabdomyosarcoma – a cancer that develops from the muscles attached to the bone. Although a relatively rare disease, rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. Dr Jenney, a consultant paediatric oncologist at the Children's Hospital for Wales, leads a study that aims to recruit around 1,800 children and adults from the UK and Europe who have rhabdomyosarcoma that is newly diagnosed or has come back. The study has three components: 1) Radiotherapy The researchers are studying radiotherapy treatment from several angles, including escalating radiotherapy doses and methods for delivering the treatment. For example, one part of this study involves people who have tumours that can be removed with surgery. These patients will be allocated into one of two groups – either receiving pre-or-post operative radiotherapy. 2) Chemotherapy New drug combinations are being trialled, comparing current options to new alternatives. The researchers also plan to investigate the optimum duration of maintenance chemotherapy – a type of chemotherapy a person receives to avoid or slow the cancer's return after initial, effective treatment. 3) Understanding the biology of rhabdomyosarcoma Sometimes two genes fuse together to form a faulty molecule, which can drive cancer progression. The PAX-FOXO fusion gene is an example of this, where the PAX and FOXO genes have fused together, and is a signature genetic change known to drive rhabdomyosarcoma. All patients will be screened for the presence of the PAX-FOXO fusion gene. Tumour samples will be collected at diagnosis and relapsed disease for biological studies to facilitate the identification of treatment strategies and relevant molecules, called biomarkers, that could enable disease and patient monitoring. A virtual biobank will also be established that will enable the collected samples to be analysed for a better understanding of the biology of the disease by the research community across the globe. The trial is co-ordinated from the University of Birmingham and Dr Jenney is based in Cardiff. A gift of £25,000 could support the collection of fresh and frozen tissue for the duration of the project. These samples are essential for advancing our understanding of rhabdomyosarcoma. Studying patient samples provide an insight into the disease and can help researchers to develop new treatments.