A $500,000 research grant awarded to an LSU professor will be used to investigate ways to improve outcomes of childhood cancer survivors, the university announced this morning. “We have developed a method for predicting the risk of long-term side effects in children treated with radiation,” says LSU physics and astronomy professor Wayne Newhauser, also the Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics at the university. “Our approach is unique in that we can provide an estimate that is tailored to each individual child. For example, children who develop certain types of pediatric cancers are known to be more sensitive to radiation and thus are more likely to suffer from long-term side effects. Our method can take these factors into account.” Newhauser’s research team focuses on personalizing and integrating cancer treatment and survivorship care after treatment has ceased. The research team—which also includes colleagues from Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and other research institutions—will perform in silico, or computer simulation, clinical trials to develop an evidence base that will guide clinical and policy decision-making. In silico clinical trials, an approach pioneered by Newhauser at MDACC, are advantageous because they can be conducted in two or three years—in contrast to traditional randomized clinical trials that typically require two to three decades. The grant, which provides funds over two years, comes from the U.S. Department of Defense. The research project will be conducted in collaboration with Northern Illinois University.
Editor’s note: This story has been changed since its original publication.
