"An oncogene called MYC is amplified in these tumors making them very susceptible to recurrence. In addition, there's a greater risk of it spreading to other areas of the brain and down the spine," said Siddhartha Mitra, Ph.D., assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and University of Colorado Cancer Center member. "The five-year survival rate of this cancer is less than 45 percent. We wanted to discover better treatment options for these kids."