At least one-third of patients with localized rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and 60-70% of patients with metastatic RMS experience progressive disease or relapse. Following relapse, outcomes generally remain poor with limited treatment options and a high risk of subsequent recurrence. Optimal treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach incorporating chemotherapy with local control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Cancer
August 2025
The twelfth multi-stakeholder Paediatric Strategy focused on cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors. Genetic aberrations in paediatric tumours increase CDK4/6 activity, thus the pathway is a therapeutic target. As a result, CDK4/6 inhibitors have been evaluated in clinical trials for children and young adults with different malignancies, both as single agents and in combination, including molecular enrichment in ESMART.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRealising the potentially substantial benefits of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for children with cancer is hindered by non-scientific barriers that are also relevant for other rare diseases. A solely commercial development model will not deliver optimally due to insufficient return on investment for pharmaceutical companies. Access to therapies is restricted for patients who might benefit and advancing innovation in the academic research setting is difficult.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPaediatric cancers, although rare, are the leading cause of disease-related mortality in European children above one year. A key pillar of the European Health Union, Europe's Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) puts a spotlight on childhood cancer. National Cancer Control Plans (NCCPs) have a key role but did not address childhood cancers sufficiently previously.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJAMA Netw Open
December 2024
Importance: In poor-prognosis children's cancers, new therapies may carry fresh hope for patients and parents. However, there is an absolute requirement for any new therapy to be properly evaluated to fulfill scientific, regulatory, and reimbursement requirements. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard, but no consensus exists on how and when they should be deployed to best meet the needs of all stakeholders.
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