Childhood Lymphoma clinical trials

Study of Genistein in Pediatric Oncology Patients (UVA-Gen001)

Toxicities related to pediatric cancer treatment can lead to significant illness, organ damage, treatment delays, increased health care cost, and decrease in quality of life. Such toxicities are largely due to tissue damage sustained by chemotherapy, and strategies designed to limit such cellular damage to normal tissues may reduce therapy-related morbidity and mortality. In addition to their in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer effects, naturally occurring soy isoflavones have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, and have been shown to reduce side effects of therapy in adult oncology clinical trials. This study will examine the effect of genistein, the major isoflavone component in soybeans and the most extensively studied of the soy isoflavones, on short-term side effects of myelosuppressive chemotherapy in pediatric cancer patients. Subjects will be randomized to receive either: a) 30 mg genistein daily throughout chemotherapy Cycles 1 and 2 and placebo during chemotherapy Cycles 3 and 4; or b) placebo daily during chemotherapy Cycles 1 and 2 and 30 mg genistein daily during chemotherapy Cycles 3 and 4. Investigators hypothesize that subjects will have fewer short-term therapy-related side effects during cycles of chemotherapy given in conjunction with genistein supplementation than cycles given with placebo.