Leukemia is one of the most common childhood cancers, representing approximately one-third of all cancer diagnoses among children under the age of 14. Studies show that a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of leukemia in children, begins in the womb. Researchers discovered a genetic error that is present at birth in some children who later develop ALL. It is not clear how many children have this error at birth or whether it can be used to identify children who will develop ALL.

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Erin Marcotte, PhD, and Heather Nelson, PhD, will test a new method using advanced genetic sequencing to detect this genetic error. This will help researchers determine whether the genetic error is an accurate predictor of leukemia, helping doctors detect ALL earlier and increase a child’s chance of survival.