What it Takes to Close the Gap in Pediatric Cancer Care with Leo Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Clips
In this episode, Leo Wang, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric oncologist, Clinical Director of the Gene Therapy Program and Director of the City of Hope Alpha Clinic, discusses the realities of caring for children with cancers that still have few effective treatments. He reflects on what it takes to begin changing those realities for patients and families.
While many childhood leukemias are now highly curable, Dr. Wang explains children with certain aggressive brain tumors still face the same outcomes they did a decade ago. This lag in progress is what drives his work today investigating CAR T‑cell therapy gene therapy in early phase clinical trials.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. Wang returns to the idea that progress in pediatric cancer care depends on collaboration across institutions, bringing together patient care, careful study and shared commitment across the research community. For him, the work centers on honoring the trust families place in the field and steadily moving discoveries from the lab to children who need more options and more time.