News from SIOP Europe AYA Committee

02/05/2023

Over the last 20 years, survival of adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology patients in high-income countries has significantly increased due to intense multimodal treatment strategies, improved supportive care, and centralisation of AYA care. However, prognosis for a subset of patients with high-risk, relapsed, and refractory cancers remains poor, and survivors (now approx. 85%) are facing chronic late side-effects.  Essentially, cure comes at cost stressing the urgent need for innovative treatment approaches.

Some large-scale genomic studies including next generation sequencing (NGS) have provided insights into the genomic landscape of AYA cancer, which enables improving outcomes through molecularly matched treatments. Multiple prospective precision-medicine programmes have reported the feasibility of NGS in a clinical setting in a relevant timeframe and reveal actionable genetic variants that justify the development of predictive bio-marker driven trials for childhood cancer. Large-scale programmes have included; (1) the international INFORM registry including 13 countries, (2) MAPPYACTS (France), (3) SM-PAEDS (UK), (4) the US-based NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH trial and (5) the Australian Zero Childhood Programme.

The AYA Genomic session at the SIOP Europe Annual Meeting will take place on Wednesday 10 May, from 8.00 – 10.00 am and will discuss the feasibility and clinical value of whole genome sequencing for AYA from cancer diagnostics to cancer predisposition. Full session details are available here.

Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with Cancer - A Course by the SIOP Europe AYA Committee will be held online on 29-30 September 2023. The Course will cover the challenges and unique needs of AYA with cancer, from diagnosis through treatment and long-term follow-up care, including psychosocial, social and financial issues. This Course will be of interest to fellows in paediatric haematology and oncology, and anyone in training for other disciplines caring for AYA cancer patients and survivors. Apply here.

 

For more information about the SIOP Europe AYA Committee, visit the group webpage.