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Pediatric and Adolescent Solid Tumor Steering Committee

The Pediatric and Adolescent Solid Tumor Steering Committee (PASTSC) was established in 2011. It addresses the design, prioritization, and evaluation of concepts for large clinical trials in extracranial solid tumors of children and youth. Concepts in brain and other central nervous system tumors are reviewed by the Brain Malignancies Steering Committee. View the PASTSC member roster.

Strategic Priorities

  • PASTSC Strategic Priorities address areas of unmet clinical need, important unanswered clinical questions, and potential new approaches to disease treatment. They were formulated by the PASTSC in conjunction with the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) with the goal that the majority of submitted concepts would align with the established priorities. Strategic priorities are currently available for bone tumors, neuroblastoma, and soft tissue sarcomas. Strategic priorities for other diseases are forthcoming.

Clinical Trial Planning Meetings (CTPMs)

CTPMs are held periodically and focus on specific clinical trial related topics. The following are important PASTSC CTPMs:

  • Drug Development for Metastatic Osteosarcoma
    Outcomes for osteosarcoma patients have not improved in 30 years, largely because despite successful primary tumor treatment, pulmonary metastasis develops. Based on a growing understanding of metastasis biology, investigators from the NCI and COG met in April 2013 to forge a path towards developing therapeutics that target metastatic progression. The PASTSC endorsed the approach that was developed at the meeting. Read the publication Towards a Drug Development Path That Targets Metastatic Progression in Osteosarcoma.
  • Neuroblastoma CTPM
    Revising the International Neuroblastoma Response Criteria (INRC) is viewed as a necessary step to make progress through clinical trials in the treatment and outcome for children with neuroblastoma. The PASTSC convened an international panel of experts who were organized into working groups focused on different aspects of the Criteria. Revised criteria were developed at the meeting which took place in April 2012 and also on a series of conference calls held both before and after the meeting. Read the executive summary and the following publications that are important outcomes of this CTPM:

Contact

For more information, contact NCI CCCT Program Director, Steven Reeves, Ph.D. at steven.reeves@nih.gov.

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