Research Initiatives

FAPTP collects data from member institutions to conduct epidemiologic studies, clinical trials, and cancer-control protocols. Staff members respond to data requests from private and government agencies, as well as print media.

The Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS) captures data from patients treated outside the FAPTP system and can be linked with the SPIRS data to study a larger patient base. With the combined data set, FAPTP data managers can track the incidence of pediatric cancer in Florida. Previous studies and projects included:

• calculating the incidence of pediatric cancer in each of Florida's 67 counties to identify temporal or geographic trends that warrant further investigation
• examining possible association between environmental hazards and potential cancer clusters

FAPTP has also assisted in the development of cancer-control studies, two of which were NCI-approved for cancer-control credit as intergroup studies with COG.

• Dr. Jennifer Mayer (ACH/USF) co-chairs an HLMCC Research Base protocol on nutrition entitled, The effect of cyproheptadine hydrochloride (Periactin) and megestrol acetate (Megace) on weight in children with cancer/treatment related cachexia (HLMCC 0205)

• Dr. Eric Sandler and Scott Bradfield (Nemours Jacksonville) co-chair an HLMCC Research Base protocol on neurotoxicity entitled, Glutamic Acid to Decrease Vincristine Toxicity in Children with Cancer (HLMCC 0402)

FAPTP has also been involved in the following studies:

• With All Children's Hospital of St. Petersburg, Florida, FAPTP accrued patients for the Bone Marrow Transplant Lung Disease in Pediatrics: A Cohort Study. A primary objective of this study was to identify risk factors which may be associated with the development of post-bone marrow transplant lung disease.

• The Florida Registry of Pediatric Blood Disorders was the first statewide patient data repository for children with certain hematologic disorder in Florida and Puerto Rico and, through follow-up FAPTP assessed the natural history of these hematologic disorders in children.

• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study to determine whether daily oral administration of megestrol acetate (Megace) in children with cancer-associated cachexia improves appetites and quality of life and results in weight gain.

• Two studies were conducted by researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) Department of Ophthalmology: the Incidence of Surgically Treated Uveal Melanoma by Race and Ethnicity.

• Determined the efficacy of using a population-based registry to identify the treatment aspects of pediatric cancer in Florida.

• Established socioeconomic and demographic factors which predict whether children in Florida receive their cancer care at centers with, or without, specialized resources for diagnosing and treating pediatric cancer.

• Examined the patterns-of-care of pediatric patients in Florida in order to identify the type(s) of treatment provided to these patients and their survival status.

• Determined why patients are not enrolled on frontline therapeutic clinical trials; to decrease barriers to enrollment and, thus, increase the number of patient enrollments on available protocols.