Early screening can detect new paediatric tumours when there is a genetic predisposition
Thanks to recent advances in genomic sequencing, we have found out that 5-15% of children are genetically predisposed to developing a tumour. However, until now, it was not clear when to start monitoring their development. In this context, scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, USA) have shown that beginning this monitoring shortly after detecting that the patient has a genetic predisposition often leads to the early discovery of one or more asymptomatic tumours. In the article published in JAMA Oncology, it is reported that half of the tumours could be removed using only surgery, avoiding toxic chemotherapies or radiotherapies. These findings evidence the benefit of early surveillance applied to multiple types of cancer and predisposition conditions.
For the study, 274 paediatric patients with 35 different predisposition conditions were examined over an average of three years. The surveillance revealed tumours in 27 patients, ranging from solid neoplasms to central nervous system tumours.
Detection of second and early-stage tumours
The study found that early screening could identify new tumours while patients were still being treated for a previous cancer. 17% of participants had new tumours detected using this methodology. Typically, these malignant tumours are found after the treatment for the first cancer has ended, which can allow them to develop further and become more difficult to treat.
Early surveillance also enabled the detection of cancers at earlier stages, which would have otherwise gone unnoticed since almost all patients were asymptomatic at the time of discovery. Specialists were able to remove most of these tumours solely through surgery, and it was observed that 70% of the tumours were completely excised without leaving microscopic traces. This could significantly reduce or even eliminate the need for chemotherapy or radiotherapy, preventing long-term treatment side effects—crucial for the paediatric population.
The results of this study greatly benefit clinical practice in managing pediatric cancer, demonstrating that following standardised surveillance protocols is a highly effective way to detect new tumours at their earliest and most treatable stages.
*Source: Los niños con predisposición genética al cáncer se benefician de una vigilancia precoz normalizada
