Genetic predisposition to cancers in children and adolescents

Abstract

Purpose of reviewChildhood cancer is rare, but it remains the leading cause of disease-related mortality among children 1–14 years of age. As exposure to environmental factors is lower in children, inherited genetic factors become an important player in the cause of childhood cancer. This review highlights the current knowledge and approach for cancer predisposition syndromes in children.Recent findingsCurrent literature suggests that 10–18% of paediatric cancer patients have an underlying genetic susceptibility to their disease. With better knowledge and technology, more genes and syndromes are being discovered, allowing tailored treatment and surveillance for the probands and their families.Studies have demonstrated that focused surveillance can detect early malignancies and increase overall survival in several cancer predisposition syndromes. Various approaches have been proposed to refine early tumour detection strategies while minimizing the burden on patients and families. Newer therapeutic strategies are being investigated to treat, or even prevent, tumours in children with cancer predisposition.SummaryThis review summarizes the current knowledge about different cancer predisposition syndromes, focusing on the diagnosis, genetic counselling, surveillance and future directions.

The Epidemiological Study of Children with Malignant Disorders in the Pediatric Department at Menoufia University Hospital, Menoufia, Egypt during the Last Fifteen Years

“…Iran J Ped Hematol Oncol. 2024, Vol 14, No 1,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.…”

“…(1) It is one of the leading causes of death among children. (1,2) Leukemia represents the most frequent pediatric malignancies (about 28%) followed by tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) (about 26%) followed by lymphoma (about 8%), less frequent neuroblastoma (8%), nephroblastoma (5%), malignant bone tumors (5%), soft tissue tumors (7%), germ-cell tumors (about 4%). (3)(4)(5)(6).…”

“…Brain and CNS tumors are the most common solid tumor and the second leading cause of cancer death in individuals aged 0-19 years in the United States (US) and Canada. (7,8) The main subtype of brain and CNS tumors in children are astrocytoma, brain stem glioma, medulloblastoma, craniopharyngioma, high risk glioma, atypical teratoid rhabdoid, ependymoma and desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma (1,9). This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.…”

Genomic Newborn Screening for Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Syndromes: A Holistic Approach

“…It allows for the initiation of surveillance programs, which can lead to the pre-symptomatic detection of malignant neoplasms, thus improving treatment options and survival outcomes [ 78 ]. Dedicated surveillance has been shown to detect malignancies early and improve the overall survival of several CPSs [ 79 ]. Additionally, early detection enables tailored therapy and surveillance for the probands and their families, leading to better patient management [ 80 ].…”