Survival rates for Neuroblastoma range from 30% to 50%. Thereafter, unfortunately, the risk of a relapse is high, occurring in approximately half of the cases. Sadly, survival rates for those children who do relapse are low, at only 4%-8%, a stark statistic.
Therefore, after her frontline treatment has been completed at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, it will be vital that we do everything we can to reduce the high risk of relapse.
As there is no further treatment available in Ireland, we want to enroll Tessa on a clinical trial in a specialist hospital overseas as we believe this will provide our best chance to help prevent a relapse for Tessa.
We are hoping to enroll Tessa on the Anti-GD2 and GD3 Bivalent Vaccine Trial in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York in the US .
The vaccine contains a number of different components which aim to stimulate the child’s immune system to attack any remaining neuroblastoma cells that doctors cannot see on scans or any other tests that might grow and result in a relapse.
The vaccine is given in a clinical trial that aims to determine the side effects and the relapse-free survival of children in remission after they complete high-risk neuroblastoma frontline immunotherapy with anti-GD2 antibodies.
It is given in 7 injections over one year. The injections take place in a clinic and no hospitalisation is required.
This vaccine has been given to over 100 children in remission after a relapse or in first remission after finishing frontline treatment for high risk neuroblastoma. It has shown to be safe with very minimal side effects, limited to brief soreness or swelling at the injection site in some children. No effects have lasted more than 24 hours. This study aims to enrol 145 patients.