# Improving Outcome Disparities for Latino Children and Adolescents with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

> **NIH NIH P20** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $1,049,211

## Abstract

Summary
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children and, although cure rates have
improved over the past 50 years, ethnic disparities persist. In particular, Latinos have the highest incidence and
among the lowest survival rates for leukemia in the U.S. The underlying causes of this disparity are multi-factorial,
including differences in tumor and host biology, as well as social/behavioral factors such as limited healthcare
access. Host pharmacogenomics and other biological factors resulting in increased treatment-related toxicities
are a key and under-studied cause of ethnic disparities in outcomes. Adverse outcomes result both from direct
treatment-associated morbidity and mortality, and from compromised ability to deliver sufficiently intensive anti-
leukemic therapy.
The overall goals of this P20 program are to reduce outcome disparities among Latino children and adolescents
by identifying host biological factors that result in increased toxicities, and to lay the groundwork for establishment
of the first Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) devoted to pediatric leukemia. The two
primary Research Projects will identify factors associated with risk for two key treatment-related toxicities,
hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity, which adversely impact treatment outcomes and occur disproportionately in
Latinos. The eventual SPORE will expand upon this work by (1) pursuing prevention and treatment strategies
and (2) investigating ethnic disparities in other clinically impactful treatment-related toxicities. The Program will
be administered through the Administrative Core (Core A). Biospecimens will be processed by Core B, and
statistical analysis will be provided by Core C. A Developmental Research Program will foster development of
innovative pilot projects that aim to understand and/or reduce ethnicity-based disparities in ALL outcomes. We
will leverage the Reducing Ethnic Disparities in Acute Leukemia (REDIAL) Consortium, comprising 6 cancer
centers in the southwestern U.S., which will provide clinical data from 3,000 and clinical data, bone marrow,
blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples from nearly 2,000 children and adolescents with newly diagnosed ALL for
the following two novel and integrated Projects.
Our synergistically integrated team will define key biological factors associated with hepatotoxicity and
neurotoxicity, important contributors to ethnic outcome disparities. More broadly, this Program will further
strengthen and expand the REDIAL Consortium, with its invaluable ethnically diverse dataset and biorepository,
and model its use for development of risk prediction models that identify Latino patients at risk for toxicities and
illuminate the underlying biology mechanisms. This work will form the foundation for a future SPORE that will
investigate additional toxicities of ALL therapy, and translate these findings into development of effective
intervention strategies. This efficient monetary in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10472696
- **Project number:** 5P20CA262733-02
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Philip Lupo
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,049,211
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-20 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10472696

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10472696, Improving Outcome Disparities for Latino Children and Adolescents with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (5P20CA262733-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10472696. Licensed CC0.

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