Examination Date

Spring 3-27-2026

Degree

Thesis

Degree Program

Biomedical Sciences

Examination Committee

Drs. Fern Tsien, Deidre Devier, and Jovanny Zabaleta

Abstract

The most common childhood cancer in the US is leukemia, with approximately 3,000 ALL pediatric diagnoses per year. An estimated 90% of those children will go on to become long-term survivors. Currently, methotrexate is the most common chemotherapy agent used in pediatric ALL. High-dose IV methotrexate (> 1 gm/m2/dose) has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and is successfully utilized for the treatment of ALL as prophylaxis to the central nervous system. As survival rates for patients with pediatric leukemia and lymphoma improve, the focus of innovation has shifted from increasing survival rates to enhancing survival quality with reductions of toxicities and deleterious late effects. The present study seeks to evaluate the spectrum of neurocognitive deficits in a cohort of pediatric cancer survivors, define epigenetic changes in FFPE tissue samples from deceased patients as well as investigate the socioeconomic factors that may be impacting their quality of life.

Additional Files
Sheets, Gabrielle- Thesis Report Form.pdf (134 kB)
Thesis Report Form
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