Nanopore Sequencing as a Cutting-Edge Technology for Medulloblastoma Classification.

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most prevalent embryonal malignant brain tumors. Current classification organizes these tumors into four molecular subgroups (WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 MB). Recently, a comprehensive classification has been established, identifying numerous subtypes, some of which exhibit a poor prognosis.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Central Nervous System Tumors Harboring NTRK Gene Fusions.

Purpose: Tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions are detected in less than 2% of central nervous system tumors. There are limited data on the clinical course of affected patients.

Experimental Design: We conducted an international retrospective cohort study of patients with TRK fusion-driven central nervous system tumors.

Neurological hospitalisations in childhood cancer survivors treated before 2001: findings from the French Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort.

Purpose: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) have an increased risk of developing late chronic diseases, which can be influenced by the cancer type and its treatment. These chronic diseases can be severe and disabling, typically emerging years to decades after treatment. These deficits negatively impact quality of life, intelligence quotient, and memory.

Specific brain MRI features of constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome in children with high-grade gliomas.

Background: Children with constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD) syndrome have an increased risk of high-grade gliomas (HGG), and brain imaging abnormalities. This study analyzes brain imaging features in CMMRD syndrome children versus those with HGG without CMMRD.

Methods: Retrospective comparative analysis of brain imaging in 30 CMMRD children (20 boys, median age eight years, 22 with HGG), seven with Lynch syndrome (7 HGG), 39 with type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1) (four with HGG) and 50 with HGG without MMR or NF1 pathogenic variant ("no-predisposition" patients).

Medulloblastomas with pathogenic variants: A weakly penetrant syndrome with a restricted spectrum in a limited age window.

Background: pathogenic variants (PV) have been recently identified as the most frequent variants predisposing to Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastomas (MB); however, guidelines are still lacking for genetic counseling in this new syndrome.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical and genetic data of a French series of 29 -mutated MB.

Results: All patients developed SHH-MB, with a biallelic inactivation of found in 24 tumors.

Long-term weight gain in children with craniopharyngioma.

Objective: Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma mainly affects children. Excessive weight gain is a major long-term complication. The primary objective of this study was to assess long-term weight changes in children treated for craniopharyngioma.

Increased Cardiac Risk After a Second Malignant Neoplasm Among Childhood Cancer Survivors: A FCCSS Study.

Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at an elevated risk of developing both a second malignant neoplasm (SMN) and cardiac disease.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the excess of occurrence of cardiac disease after a SMN among CCS.

Methods: Analyses included 7,670 CCS from the French Childhood Cancer Survivors Study cohort diagnosed between 1945 and 2000.

Treatment adherence in retinoblastoma: A retro-prospective cohort study in Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Background: In high-income countries, retinoblastoma is curable in more than 95% of cases, whereas in low-income countries, mortality remains high, especially when the diagnosis is made late or the treatment is discontinued.

Aims: To determine the factors associated with adherence to the treatment of retinoblastoma in the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Methods And Results: A retro-prospective cohort study was carried out.

Diffuse Infiltrating Retinoblastoma with Anterior Chamber Involvement: Conservative Management and Identification of Alterations in Aqueous Humor.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to describe the successful conservative management of diffuse infiltrating retinoblastoma (DIR). Identification of pathogenic variant was done after cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis in aqueous humor.

Case Presentation: Herein, we report 2 patients with unilateral, non-familial DIR with anterior and posterior involvement.

Immunohistochemical expression of TFF1 is a marker of poor prognosis in retinoblastoma.

Introduction: The risk of relapse in retinoblastoma is currently determined by the presence of high-risk histopathologic factors in the enucleated eye. However, the probability of developing metastatic disease is heterogeneous among these patients. Evaluating a biological marker to identify high-risk patients could be useful in clinical setting.

Germline retrogene insertion in gene involved in cancer predisposition.

About half of the human genome is composed of repeated sequences derived from mobile elements, mainly retrotransposons, generally without pathogenic effect. Familial forms of retinoblastoma are caused by germline pathogenic variants in gene. Here, we describe a family with retinoblastoma affecting a father and his son.

Neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK) fusion positive tumors: a historical cohort analysis.

Background: NTRK gene fusions have been identified in various tumors; some requiring aggressive therapy and sometimes new TRK inhibitors (TRKi). We aimed to describe a national, unselected, retrospective, multicenter cohort.

Research Design And Methods: Patients were identified through the French sarcoma diagnostic laboratory at Institut Curie through samples analyzed by RT-qPCR or whole-transcriptome sequencing.

A 10-year experience in testicular tissue cryopreservation for boys under 18 years of age: What can be learned from 350 cases?

Background: A growing number of centers worldwide are preserving testicular tissue (TT) of young boys at risk of fertility loss to preserve their fertility. Data in this regard are scarce and experience sharing is essential to the optimization of the process.

Objectives: This report of our 10-year activity of pediatric fertility preservation (FP) has the objective to (1) improve knowledge regarding the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and potential usefulness of the procedure; (2) analyze the impact of chemotherapy on spermatogonia in the cryopreserved TT.

Risk factors for obesity in adulthood among survivors of childhood cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for obesity in childhood cancer survivors (CCSs).

Methods: The study included 3199 patients of the French Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort, with 303 patients with obesity who had returned the self-questionnaire. Analyses were adjusted for social deprivation index and sex.

Neurocognitive and radiological follow-up of children under 5 years of age treated for medulloblastoma according to the HIT-SKK protocol.

Background: The HIT-SKK protocol is used for low/standard-risk medulloblastomas in young children with the aim to eliminate cranial irradiation and its neuropsychological (NP) sequelae. This therapy includes IV and intraventricular (ITV) methotrexate (MTX) potentially responsible for leukoencephalopathy (LE) and neurocognitive disorders. This study describes the risk factors and course of LE, and investigates its correlation with neurocognitive impact.

How can we differentiate supratentorial tumor recurrence from postradiation imaging changes in children treated for primary malignant brain tumors?

Objective: Distinguishing tumor recurrence from therapy-induced imaging changes (TIIC) on brain MRI in children treated for primary malignant brain tumors may be challenging. The authors aimed to assess the diagnostic ability of multimodal MRI in differentiating TIIC from tumor recurrence.

Methods: The authors retrospectively included children with abnormal supratentorial brain MRI findings after treatment for primary malignant brain tumors (regardless of their localization) with complete resection and radiotherapy.

Evaluating preclinical evidence for clinical translation in childhood brain tumours: Guidelines from the CONNECT, PNOC, and ITCC brain networks.

Clinical outcomes for many childhood brain tumours remain poor, despite our increasing understanding of the underlying disease biology. Advances in molecular diagnostics have refined our ability to classify tumour types and subtypes, and efforts are underway across multiple international paediatric neuro-oncology consortia to take novel biological insights in the worst prognosis entities into innovative clinical trials. Whilst for the first time we are designing such studies on the basis of disease-specific biological data, the levels of preclincial evidence in appropriate model systems on which these trials are initiated is still widely variable.

Combination Early-Phase Trials of Anticancer Agents in Children and Adolescents.

Purpose: There is an increasing need to evaluate innovative drugs for childhood cancer using combination strategies. Strong biological rationale and clinical experience suggest that multiple agents will be more efficacious than monotherapy for most diseases and may overcome resistance mechanisms and increase synergy. The process to evaluate these combination trials needs to maximize efficiency and should be agreed by all stakeholders.

Assessment of Puberty and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis Function After Childhood Brain Tumor Treatment.

Context: Endocrine complications are common in pediatric brain tumor patients.

Objective: To describe hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA) function in patients treated in childhood for a primary brain tumor more than 5 years earlier, in order to identify risk factors for HPGA impairment.

Methods: We retrospectively included 204 patients diagnosed with a primary brain tumor before 18 years of age and monitored at the pediatric endocrinology unit of the Necker Enfants-Malades University Hospital (Paris, France) between January 2010 and December 2015.