New Research Calls For Prioritization of Population Screening and Targeted Surveillance for Childhood Cancer
Leading experts have identified the need for prioritization of research into population screening and targeted surveillance for childhood cancer in a recent review published in EJC: Paediatric Oncology.
According to the review, childhood cancer remains the biggest cause of death by disease in children aged 0-14 years, with 1,900 children diagnosed every year in the UK. The authors stress the importance of early detection, as delays in diagnosis can lead to more difficult and less successful treatment.
The paper, titled ‘A review calling for research directed at early detection of childhood cancers: the clinical, scientific, and economic arguments for population screening and surveillance’, highlights the fact that many childhood cancers can be traced back to inherited predisposition conditions or genetic mutations that increase the likelihood of developing cancer.
The authors call for a focused research effort on population screening and targeted surveillance for childhood cancer, which would identify at-risk children and enable early diagnosis and treatment. This, in turn, could greatly improve survival rates and quality of life for young cancer patients.
David Walker, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Oncology at the University of Nottingham and corresponding author of the paper, stated, “Symptoms of childhood cancer are often difficult to spot by families and healthcare practitioners, making research into early detection a crucial step in keeping children safe. By identifying children before their cancer is advanced, we can explore new treatment approaches that could further improve the chances of cure and reduce the risk of lifelong disability.”
Population screening is already a common practice for certain childhood diseases, despite the fact that the risk of developing cancer by age 18 is higher than for many routinely screened-for conditions. The review also cites previous research into early detection of adult cancers, which has found ways to predict and identify cancer sooner, leading to earlier and potentially lifesaving interventions. However, the authors stress that there has not been a similar effort in childhood cancer research.
The authors state that the aim of any population screening program would be to provide reassurance to most children that they are not at risk of developing cancer, while also identifying those who are at risk. For these children, targeted surveillance with further blood, clinical, and imaging tests may be recommended during specific periods of their childhood. However, the authors acknowledge that more research is needed to successfully introduce a population screening and targeted surveillance program for children.
Co-lead author Dr. John Apps, Associate Clinical Professor in Paediatric Neuro-Oncology at the University of Birmingham, explained, “As our understanding of the biology of cancer has improved, we know that some children have mutations that predispose them to developing cancers. It’s important that we learn about these risks and develop screening programs for siblings and family members.”
In June 2022, Tori Reeve’s then six-year-old son Wilf was diagnosed with stage 4 Wilms’ tumour, a kidney cancer. He showed no symptoms until a couple of days before his diagnosis, when he woke with pain in his side, nausea, and looking pale. After months of intense chemotherapy and major surgery, Wilf is now in remission and back to his lively self. However, Tori notes that he is still dealing with the physical and mental effects of his treatment.
Tori believes that if Wilf’s cancer had been discovered sooner, he may have been able to receive less invasive treatment, reducing the physical and mental trauma he experienced. She said, “Wilf still has some real psychological repercussions from the treatments that we’re looking to get him support for. Anything that reduces the need for long, difficult treatments, I think has to be supported.”
Co-lead author Dr. Tim Ritzmann, Clinical Associate Professor in Paediatric Neuro-Oncology at the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre at the University of Nottingham, stated, “This paper represents the start of a new discussion about how we better diagnose all types of childhood cancers before they cause significant problems. Our international authorship group, including parent experts and world-leading researchers, is well-placed to widen this conversation and develop new and better strategies for intervening in childhood cancer earlier than ever before.”
Ashley Ball-Gamble, CEO of Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) and a co-author of the paper, commented, “Finding and developing new methods and strategies to accelerate the detection of cancer in children and young people should be a key priority for cancer research. We want to ensure that childhood cancers aren’t left behind.”
The paper, titled ‘A review calling for research directed at early detection of childhood cancers: the clinical, scientific, and economic arguments for population screening and surveillance’, can be read here: https://www.ejcped.com/article/S2772-610X(24)00051-5/fulltext.
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