Pioneering children’s cancer research role to speed up crucial clinical trials

University of Birmingham researchers are leading the way with a ground-breaking role to enable more children with the rare cancer neuroblastoma to access potentially life-saving clinical trials more quickly. In the first dedicated position focusing on a single childhood cancer, Dr Emmanouela Gbandi has been appointed as the Solving Kids' Cancer Senior Trials Coordinator for Neuroblastoma at the University of Birmingham's Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) . It's hoped that the success of this role will inspire similar future initiatives. Charity Solving Kids' Cancer (Europe) is funding the role with £277,410 over five years. Neuroblastoma is classed as rare, with just 100 children diagnosed in the UK every year. Many of these children rely on clinical trials as a way of accessing innovative therapies - particularly those diagnosed with the high-risk form of the disease which may not respond to standard treatment and often returns after treatment has been completed. There is a real and urgent need for more clinical trials to be delivered for children with neuroblastoma.