Improving Outcomes through the Use of Standardized Protocols for Surveillance in Children Predisposed to Cancer

Some children are identified as having a predetermined risk for cancer. Children who are identified as being predisposed to cancer are typically screened in a variety of different ways for different disorders, and families are also offered genetic counseling. However, very few of the cancer surveillance protocols are used consistently by similar programs around the world, so an international consensus needs to be developed to assure uniform cancer surveillance and communication among cancer predisposition programs.

Dr. Brodeur is also the Director of the Cancer Predisposition Program at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is organizing an International Workshop on Pediatric Cancer Predisposition, sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). This workshop of thought leaders in the field from around the world will develop position papers for the major cancer predisposition syndromes affecting children. The papers will contain the major manifestations of the disorder, the genes known to be responsible, the relative cancer risk in children and adolescents (up to 20 years old), and the recommended cancer surveillance protocols for patients with these disorders. This work will facilitate communication across teams and institutions, ensure seamless care for children who go for treatment at more than one center, and serve as a standard of care for insurances purposes.