SALT LAKE CITY: Dr. Kevin Jones, a pediatric oncologist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, is one of the five in the country who won the funds for his further research on childhood cancer.
His research is mainly focussed on the metabolism in alveolar soft part sarcoma genesis. Cancer cell metabolism is a growing field of study.
Other receivers were physicians and researchers who will work further into leukemia, brain tumors, lymphoma and neuroblastoma and are from New York, Georgia, Maryland and Missouri.
The recipients also have the right to access the reference books and all the equipments which are of help in their research and they also gained the chance of speaking and attending the foundation events.
Alveolar soft part sarcoma(ASPS) is a deadly rare sarcoma (malignant tumor of connective tissue) of an unclear cause affecting mainly children and young adults. ASPS can migrate into other parts of the body, typically the lungs and the brain making it a deadly disease. ASPS varies little in its appearance from patient to patient.
The fund $125,000 for three years is provided by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. This American pediatric cancer charity is dedicated to eradicate childhood cancer in all. The group is awarding nearly $1.9 million in new grants.
“The young victims of this disease need better treatment options,” Jones said,appending that alveolar soft part sarcoma has some dependency on lactate metabolism.
“If our hypothesis is correct, an entire new avenue of treatment options opens not only for this particular tumor, but for cancer more generally,” he said.
Every day, approximately 250 kids losses their live to cancer around the globe, and it is also one of the leading cause of death in children under age 15, in USA.