Brain Tumor Clinical Trials

At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, your child receives treatment from experts who continually set and raise the standard of brain and spinal cord tumor care. Our clinical trials give your child access to the most promising new therapies.

We have a long history of participating in brain tumor research. Our specialists have even developed some of the treatment options now commonly used everywhere. These early discoveries mean that we are experts in many treatment options that some institutions are just learning. At Children’s Hospital, your child receives personalized, expert care grounded in years of research.

Brain Tumor Clinical Trials: Why Choose Us

Whether or not your child is a candidate for a clinical trial, receiving treatment from research-driven specialists offers significant benefits. At Children’s Hospital, your family can expect:

Leading-edge research: We have one of the most extensive brain tumor clinical trial portfolios in the country. Our participation in this new research means your child has access to the most advanced treatments. This research expertise leads to better outcomes for our patients with brain tumors.
Groundbreaking expertise: Our neuro-oncologists have paved the way for some of the most innovative therapies including the use of immunotherapy and intraventricular chemotherapy.
Personalized treatment: Through the Center for Personalized Medicine, we perform genetic testing on all brain and spinal cord tumors using one of the only tests designed specifically for children. Having this on-site testing means our neuro-oncologists can participate in a range of genetic-based clinical trials. As a result, children can receive treatment specific to the genetic makeup of their tumors. Because of this expertise, our therapies are more precise and effective, leading to better patient outcomes.
Improved outcomes: CHLA specialists are co-leading several clinical trials to personalize treatment based on the genetic characteristics of specific tumors. Thanks to this research, we can offer genetic-based treatment plans to many of our patients. Personalized, targeted treatments lead to better outcomes.

National Expertise in Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

CHLA’s doctors and researchers are members of several leading research networks. For example, we are the only research site in the Western United States for the U.S. Army Department of Defense Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trials Consortium. Our participation in so many networks gives your child access to more new research trials and treatment options.

The Brain Tumor Center is a member of:

Children’s Oncology Group (COG)
Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network (CERN)
Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trials Consortium (NFCTC)
National Experimental Therapeutics Consortium (NEXT)
Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC)
Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC)
Sunshine Project of National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF)

Treatment for Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

Aside from clinical trials, treatment for a brain or spinal cord tumor may include: