Pediatric & AYA Oncology Research Updates

Germline analysis of 3,208 pediatric ALL (pALL) survivors versus 7,821 non‑pALL survivors and 377 non‑cancer controls evaluated ultra‑rare cancer predisposition variants (CPVs) and common variant risk. pALL survivors showed significant enrichment of ultra‑rare CPVs in BRCA1, PALB2, and PTPN11 as well as established genes CDKN2A and TP53; GWAS meta‑analysis replicated most prior risk variants and identified two novel loci (rs112425636 in SECTM1 and rs1821340 at 8q24.21), with the SECTM1 risk allele linked to reduced tumor SECTM1 expression. Median polygenic risk score was higher in pALL survivors and SNP‑based heritability was estimated at 0.19.

A single-session telehealth psychoeducational intervention for parents of children with cancer (23 parents enrolled) was feasible to deliver with high fidelity and was rated highly satisfactory, with parents reporting perceived increases in knowledge about cognitive and psychological late effects, educational supports, and neuropsychological evaluation. The authors conclude the one-session program is acceptable to parents and recommend a future randomized trial to test whether it improves educational and developmental outcomes.

This scoping review of pediatric oncology nursing in Latin America and the Caribbean included 50 studies and identified 28 core competencies grouped into six domains—most prominently clinical and supportive care—alongside competencies in education/research, leadership, advocacy, interprofessional collaboration, and health policy. The authors propose that mapping these competencies can inform workforce development, education, and research priorities to strengthen pediatric oncology nursing capacity across diverse LAC health systems.