Jenny Ruiz, MD Propels Childhood Cancer Disparity Research Forward Using Children's Cancer Research Fund's (CCRF) Newly Created Award

Jenny Ruiz, MD, a health equity researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, will use CCRF's new Young Investigators Award to explore clinical trial equity and inclusivity.

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Inaugural awardee Jenny Ruiz, MD is researching barriers that may prevent childhood cancer patients with historically marginalized backgrounds from enrolling in Phase 1 clinical trials.

She will use CCRF's Young Investigator's award to assess whether white blood cell count criteria, called ANC neutrophil levels, can be adjusted so more children of color can enter new trials. Current standards for ANC neutrophil levels are based primarily on the Caucasian population.

You can read more about how current ANC neutrophil level criteria can impact African American patient's acceptance into clinical trials and how Ruiz plans to potentially change it here. 

Today, racial and ethnic minority children and adolescents with cancer have a higher risk of death than non-Hispanic white children and adolescents.

In past decades, researchers have made incredible progress in the world of childhood cancer research and care. CCRF's goal is to ensure those advancements reach every child with a diagnosis regardless of ethnicity, race or socioeconomic background.

CCRF's new Young Investigators Award was created in partnership with the Diversity and Health Disparities Committee of the Children's Oncology to:

• Close the survival rate gap between racial and ethnic groups.
• Increase the number of doctors and researchers of color who are focused on childhood cancer research and care.
• Explore any physiological variations that may impact how treatments work for diverse populations.

This $250,000 award will fund Ruiz's research over a two-year period.

More about the Young Investigators Award can be found here. This work would not have been possible without the dedicated support of John and Judy Mendesh and other CCRF donors.

"Clinical trials have dramatically improved outcomes in children with cancer over the past 50 years. However, some racial and ethnic minorities are not fully represented in clinical trials. Children with cancer from historically marginalized racial and ethnic backgrounds experience more side effects and higher relapse rates than the general population. If a clinical trial does not fully represent all people, understanding an individual's risks for side effects and even how well the treatments work is not possible"— Jenny Ruiz, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

CCRF invests in groundbreaking research that is leading to better treatments and cures for children with cancer. Since 1981, CCRF donors have funded research that has revolutionized the way childhood cancer is treated worldwide. Visit ChildrensCancer.org or call 888-422-7348 to learn more. 

SOURCE Children's Cancer Research Fund