Research area: Stem Cell Medicine > Cancer Therapies

Overview

Paediatric oncology patients experience high rates of adverse drug reactions, due to the number and type of medications prescribed for them during their treatment.

Pharmacogenomics is the use of genetic information to guide medication prescribing. MARVEL-PIC aims to use pre-emptive pharmacogenomic testing to guide the prescribing of supportive care medicines (i.e. antibiotics, anti-nausea medications) and to investigate whether this approach reduces adverse drug reactions.

Primary goal of the study:

• A reduction in adverse drug reactions amongst patients with an actionable pharmacogenomic variant

Secondary goals of the study:

• Understanding the frequency of adverse drug reactions
• Economic evaluation of the pre-emptive program
• Adoption of pharmacogenomic prescribing recommendations
  
  

Information for participants

Participants are randomised in the initial 12 weeks. This means that some participants will receive pharmacogenomic guided prescribing (intervention arm) and others will receive standard of care prescribing (control arm).

Over a 12-week data collection period, participants will be given three symptom surveys and will be interviewed three times. The participants will be followed up for a maximum of 12 months. All prescribing recommendations provided are taken from international evidence-based guidelines.

A personalised pharmacogenomic results report will be created for all study participants.

To be eligible for the MARVEL-PIC study, you must:

• Be age 18 or under
• Have a childhood cancer diagnosis or be receiving a stem cell transplant
• Have been scheduled for more than 12 weeks of paediatric cancer treatment
• Be taking a medication that there is a pharmacogenomic prescribing guideline for (i.e. ondansetron)
  
  

Participating sites

The lead and coordinating site for the study is The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). The study has since expanded nationally, now including three participating interstate sites:

• Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick (SCHN)
• Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH)
• Women and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide
  
  

Contact us

MARVEL-PIC Study
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
The Royal Children's Hospital
50 Flemington Road
Parkville VIC 3052
Australia
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Associate Professor Rachel Conyers
Study Primary Investigator
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Email:  show email address