National Cancer Institute (NCI) awards $1.7 million grant to University of Minnesota Cancer Care researcher, Logan Spector, Ph.D. The study will focus on the causes of pediatric osteosarcoma. This is the largest and most comprehensive study to date for osteoscarcoma.

University of Minnesota in conjunction with University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview is a national research and treatment site for children with bone cancer. In 2006, 2,635 patients were treated for cancer-related illnesses.

Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer in children under 20 years of age in the United States. It is more common in males and typically affects the long bones of the arm or leg. Each year approximately 400 children are diagnosed with the disease.

Logan Spector, Ph.D., is a professor of pediatrics at University of Minnesota Medical School and Cancer Center. The research study will include 500 children in the United States and Canada who have been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Parents will also be enrolled in the study. During this four year study, a DNA sample will be taken from both the child and parent to learn if the child inherited the bone growth genes more or less often than expected. “Our research will investigate the effects of genes related to bone growth to determine if they have a role causing this cancer,” notes Logan Spector. “We think there could be a link between bone growth genes and osteosarcoma because the timing and extent of adolescent bone growth are mostly genetic,” states Spector. The growth records from these children with osteosarcoma will also be compared to national standards, and all participants will complete a survey about family history and lifestyle.

“Previous research has shown a close correlation between the childhood growth curve and osteosarcoma,” states Logan Spector. “Children with a more rapid or sustained growth spurt may have a higher risk of osteosarcoma.” Other pediatric cancer researchers from University of Minnesota; The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada; Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York; will also be included as a part of the study.

For more information about pediatric osteosarcoma research study, please contact University of Minnesota Cancer Center at 612-624-2620.