Pediatric Leukemia and Lymphoma Steering Committee

The Pediatric Leukemia and Lymphoma Steering Committee (PLLSC) was established in 2011. PLLSC members include representatives from the Children's Oncology Group, pediatric and medical oncologists and other specialists, translational scientists, biostatisticians, patient advocates, and NCI staff. At monthly meetings, the PLLSC addresses the design, prioritization, and evaluation of concepts for clinical trials in pediatric hematologic cancers. View the PLLSC member roster as of November 04, 2024.

Strategic Priorities

• PLLSC Strategic Priorities address areas of unmet clinical need, important unanswered clinical questions, and potential new approaches to disease treatment. They were formulated by the PLLSC 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 have been developed for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myeloid leukemia, and Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Clinical Trial Planning Meetings (CTPMs)

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

• Minimal Residual Disease in Adult Leukemia
  Minimal residual disease (MRD) is the level or extent of leukemic cells remaining in the blood after initial treatment for leukemia measured by either flow cytometry or DNA-based methods. It is an important prognostic tool but requires standardization for use in clinical trials. Two workshops were held in 2012 to address standardization. Because of the importance of MRD assessment in pediatric leukemia, researchers from COG as well as PLLSC members took part in these workshops.

Contact

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