Research and Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that test whether a new medicine, device or treatment is safe and effective. Children with cancer and blood disorders come to Seattle Children's from all over the world to take part in research studies of new options that are available only through clinical trials.

The children and young adults we treat have access to clinical trials offered through our:

• Leadership in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), a worldwide partnership of cancer researchers. Seattle Children's has more open COG trials than 98% of pediatric academic medical centers. This means your care team has the widest possible range of trials to consider when recommending options for your child.
• Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, which is developing T-cell therapies that use the immune system to fight cancer.
• Center for Clinical and Translational Research, which works to transform scientific discoveries into real-world therapies.
• Partnership with Fred Hutch in the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

Year after year, Seattle Children’s is among the 5 childhood cancer centers in the nation with the most patients enrolled in clinical trials.

• Find clinical trials for cancer and blood disorders

  To learn about clinical trials at Seattle Children’s:

  • Call us at 206-987-2106 or toll-free at 866-987-2000. Our team can also consult with your doctor or provide a second opinion.
  • Email us.
  • Search by diagnosis for many clinical trials available through Seattle Children’s and our partners on ClinicalTrials.gov. Read our guide about searching for trials on ClinicalTrials.gov (PDF).
  • Check for bone marrow transplant clinical trials on Fred Hutch’s clinical trials page.

• Learn how to participate in clinical trials

  • Get answers to common questions about taking part in research, including how we protect your child’s health and safety during research.
  • Read Dr. Abby Rosenberg’s blog post about deciding whether to participate in a clinical trial: Clinical Trials: What Would You Do If It Were Your Child?

• Types of studies we do

  Our physician-scientists do studies to:

  • Better understand how different diseases start, develop and progress
  • Test new treatments or combinations of treatments
  • Learn who’s at risk for cancer and blood disorders
  • Find the best supportive therapies
  • Reduce side effects of therapy and the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment

  Seattle Children’s conducts phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials for children and young adults with many kinds and stages of cancer or blood disorders, including those who: 

  • Have just been diagnosed
  • Are already in treatment
  • Have cancer that has returned

  Improving quality of life during and after treatment

  • Our doctors also research better ways to prevent, detect and treat potentially significant health issues so children and young adults who have survived cancer can enjoy good quality of life. Learn how we work to improve our patients’ and survivors’ quality of life.

• Early-stage clinical trials (phase 1)

  Our physician-scientists work with experts across the globe to create new treatment options and test them in early studies, called phase 1 clinical trials. We develop and offer early-stage clinical trials through our membership in:

  • The Phase 1 and Pilot Consortium of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). Seattle Children’s and 20 other childhood cancer programs in the United States were selected through a peer review process. The physician-scientists do lab research and study new treatments to find more effective therapies with fewer side effects.
  • New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT). Seattle Children’s doctors are leaders within NANT. We are the only center in the Pacific Northwest that belongs to it. NANT works to find new therapies for patients with neuroblastoma that is not well controlled by treatment (refractory) or that comes back (relapsed). The goal is to cure more children with advanced neuroblastoma with fewer side effects.
  • Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia (TACL). This group of children’s hospitals and universities develops phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials for recurrent childhood leukemia and lymphoma. TACL combines lab research with early-phase clinical trials to speed the progress of developing new therapies for children.
  • Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC). This network of 15 children’s hospitals studies and tests new therapies for children with brain tumors. PNOC tests new therapies that are specific to the biology of each patient’s tumor. The goal is to improve cure rates and reduce side effects of treatment for children.

Raising the standard of care

Our doctors lead clinical trials that are changing the standard of care, improving the outlook for children with cancer and reducing side effects of treatment. 

• In April 2017, Seattle Children’s published in Blood that 40 of 43 patients achieved initial remission during the phase 1 PLAT-02 clinical trial studying immunotherapy to treat relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This is a 93% remission rate. Of the children who achieved initial remission, about 50% were still in remission 1 year after therapy. Some have been in remission for more than 3 years. Learn more about immunotherapy at Seattle Children’s.
• Treatment for children with high-risk neuroblastoma changed across North America because of a COG trial led by Dr. Julie Park. The research study found that 73% of children who received a double transplant and drug-based immunotherapy were alive and cancer-free 3 years later compared to 55% who received a single transplant. Read about the study.
• A COG study led by Dr. Doug Hawkins identified a therapy that was as effective as standard treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), but with fewer harmful side effects. The new treatment was so successful it led to a call for a new standard of care for RMS. Read more.

Influencing the worldwide agenda for childhood cancer research

Through their leadership in the Children’s Oncology Group, our experts help set the global agenda for pediatric cancer research.

Discoveries in the lab help us understand how disease starts and develops. Lab research is also called bench research or basic research. It doesn’t involve patients directly, but it lays the groundwork for new treatments.

• Learn more about lab research at Seattle Children’s.

Donations from people like you help researchers pursue ideas that could lead to lifesaving treatments for kids with cancer.

Email us to learn more. Or you can donate today and designate the area you’d like to support.