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Bauer Laboratory for Thyroid Cancer Research
Researchers in the Bauer Lab are working to improve our understanding of the molecular landscape of pediatric thyroid cancer to optimize the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration, identify markers that predict invasive behavior and prognosis, and identify targets for improved treatment options.
Their long-term goal is to refine treatment guidelines and best practices to minimize treatment-related late effects and improve medical and quality-of-life outcomes for children and adolescents with thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer.
Research Highlights
Highlights of ongoing work in the Bauer Lab include:
- Using multi-omic panels to further delineate the invasive behavior of thyroid cancers beyond the classification limited to somatic oncogene driver alterations. Cohorts of patient samples involved in these studies include sporadic forms of thyroid cancer as well as tumor predisposition based on exposure to ionizing radiation or familial germline predisposition syndromes, including multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome, DICER1 syndrome, and familial non-medullary thyroid cancer.
- Collaboration with investigators across North America and the international community to accelerate discovery and to ensure patients worldwide can help us advance discovery.
National Cancer Institute, the International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma Registry, and Children’s National have helped to clarify the role of germline DICER1 mutations in the development of multinodular goiter and disseminated tumor cells (DTC).
- Developing pediatric-specific guidelines to help optimize care and minimize treatment-related morbidities and late effects frequently observed among children and adolescents with thyroid nodules and DTC. The creation of these guidelines will help to improve psychosocial functioning, medical outcomes, and quality-of-life measures.
- Review of existing treatment regimens and clinical best practices to improve the health-related quality of life outcomes for pediatric patients with DTC. Efforts are underway to develop and implement quality-of-life measures and interventions to help maintain high cure rates while minimizing medical and psychosocial late effects for pediatric patients with thyroid nodules and DTC.
- Future studies will continue to focus on identifying new biomarkers and refining existing treatment guidelines and best practices to improve diagnosis, treatment, and quality-of-life outcomes.
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