14/03/2011

The Laboratory of Translational Research in pediatric cancer at Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) has identified the involvement of a signaling pathway, Notch pathway, in aggressiveness, invasiveness and metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of childhood cancer. This discovery will apply a treatment to block the development of metastasis, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.Childhood cancer affects about 900 children each year in Spain. 8% of the tumors detected, between 80 and 90 a year, are a rhabdomyosarcoma. They are malignant tumors that can appear in a variety of locations (limbs, head and neck, nose, ears, etc.). Depending on their location and histological subtype and molecular they will be more or less aggressive, or with more invasive, destructive or metastasis ability. In the best cases can have a cure rate of 80-90%. But if the disease is advanced or metastasis occurs, prognosis is much worse.