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Pan-cancer analyses that examine commonalities and differences among various cancer types have emerged as a powerful way to obtain novel insights into cancer biology. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of genetic alterations in a pan-cancer cohort including 961 tumours from children, adolescents, and young adults, comprising 24 distinct molecular types of cancer. Using a standardized workflow, we identified marked differences in terms of mutation frequency and significantly mutated genes in comparison to previously analysed adult cancers. Genetic alterations in 149 putative cancer driver genes separate the tumours into two classes: small mutation and structural/copy-number variant (correlating with germline variants). Structural variants, hyperdiploidy, and chromothripsis are linked to TP53 mutation status and mutational signatures. Our data suggest that 7–8% of the children in this cohort carry an unambiguous predisposing germline variant and that nearly 50% of paediatric neoplasms harbour a potentially druggable event, which is highly relevant for the design of future clinical trials.
Systemic chemotherapy of pediatric recurrent ependymomas: results from the German HIT-REZ studies
(2021)
Purpose
Survival in recurrent ependymoma (EPN) depends mainly on the extent of resection achieved. When complete resection is not feasible, chemotherapy is often used to extend progression-free and overall survival. However, no consistent effect of chemotherapy on survival has been found in patients with recurrent EPN.
Methods
Systemic chemotherapeutic treatment of 138 patients enrolled in the German HIT-REZ-studies was analyzed. Survival depending on the use of chemotherapy, disease-stabilization rates (RR), duration of response (DOR) and time to progression (TTP) were estimated.
Results
Median age at first recurrence was 7.6 years (IQR: 4.0–13.6). At first recurrence, median PFS and OS were 15.3 (CI 13.3–20.0) and 36.9 months (CI 29.7–53.4), respectively. The Hazard Ratio for the use of chemotherapy in local recurrences in a time-dependent Cox-regression analysis was 0.99 (CI 0.74–1.33). Evaluable responses for 140 applied chemotherapies were analyzed, of which sirolimus showed the best RR (50%) and longest median TTP [11.51 (CI 3.98; 14.0) months] in nine patients, with the strongest impact found when sirolimus was used as a monotherapy. Seven patients with progression-free survival > 12 months after subtotal/no-resection facilitated by chemotherapy were found. No definitive survival advantage for any drug in a specific molecularly defined EPN type was found.
Conclusion
No survival advantage for the general use of chemotherapy in recurrent EPN was found. In cases with incomplete resection, chemotherapy was able to extend survival in individual cases. Sirolimus showed the best RR, DOR and TTP out of all drugs analyzed and may warrant further investigation.
First‐line treatment of pediatric low‐grade glioma using surgery, radio‐ or chemotherapy fails in a relevant proportion of patients. We analyzed efficacy of subsequent surgical and nonsurgical therapies of the German cohort of the SIOP‐LGG 2004 study (2004‐2012, 1558 registered patients; median age at diagnosis 7.6 years, median observation time 9.2 years, overall survival 98%/96% at 5/10 years, 15% neurofibromatosis type 1 [NF1]). During follow‐up, 1078/1558 patients remained observed without (n = 217), with 1 (n = 707), 2 (n = 124) or 3 to 6 (n = 30) tumor volume reductions; 480/1558 had 1 (n = 332), 2 (n = 80), 3 or more (n = 68) nonsurgical treatment‐lines, accompanied by up to 4 tumor‐reductive surgeries in 215/480; 265/480 patients never underwent any neurosurgical tumor volume reduction (163/265 optic pathway glioma). Patients with progressing tumors after first‐line adjuvant treatment were at increased risk of suffering further progressions. Risk factors were young age (<1 year) at start of treatment, tumor dissemination or progression within 18 months after start of chemotherapy. Progression‐free survival rates declined with subsequent treatment‐lines, yet remaining higher for patients with NF1. In non‐NF1‐associated tumors, vinblastine monotherapy vs platinum‐based chemotherapy was noticeably less effective when used as second‐line treatment. Yet, for the entire cohort, results did not favor a certain sequence of specific treatment options. Rather, all can be aligned as a portfolio of choices which need careful balancing of risks and benefits. Future molecular data may predict long‐term tumor biology.
Recurrent medulloblastomas are associated with survival rates <10%. Adequate multimodal therapy is being discussed as having a major impact on survival. In this study, 93 patients with recurrent medulloblastoma treated in the German P-HIT-REZ 2005 Study were analyzed for survival (PFS, OS) dependent on patient, disease, and treatment characteristics. The median age at the first recurrence was 10.1 years (IQR: 6.9–16.1). Median PFS and OS, at first recurrence, were 7.9 months (CI: 5.7–10.0) and 18.5 months (CI: 13.6–23.5), respectively. Early relapses/progressions (<18 months, n = 30/93) found mainly in molecular subgroup 3 were associated with markedly worse median PFS (HR: 2.34) and OS (HR: 3.26) in regression analyses. A significant survival advantage was found for the use of volume-reducing surgery as well as radiotherapy. Intravenous chemotherapy with carboplatin and etoposide (ivCHT, n = 28/93) showed improved PFS and OS data and the best objective response rate (ORR) was 66.7% compared to oral temozolomide (oCHT, n = 47/93) which was 34.8%. Intraventricular (n = 43) as well as high-dose chemotherapy (n = 17) at first relapse was not related to a significant survival benefit. Although the results are limited due to a non-randomized study design, they may serve as a basis for future treatment decisions in order to improve the patients' survival.