Researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital show that microbial cell-free DNA sequencing can predict bloodstream infections in children with leukemia days before the symptoms appear. Read more: https://www.stjude.org/media-resources/news-releases/2026-medicine-science-news/cell-free-dna-offers-early-warning-for-bloodstream-infections-in-kids-with-leukemia.html

Survivors of childhood medulloblastoma who also had a history of posterior fossa syndrome experienced long-term neurocognitive and physical impairments, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open . Read more: https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/news/posterior-fossa-syndrome-neurocognitive-deficits-medulloblastoma-survivors/

Now, a new study is the first to assess the effect of pesticide exposures on the survival of children with leukemia. The study found a statistically significant link between residential rodenticide exposure and a higher risk in children of death from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), with about 10% of the exposed children dying within five years of diagnosis. Read more: https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2026/02/pesticide-exposure-again-linked-to-childhood-acute-lym

Research from St. Jude led by Heather Conklin, PhD, Department of Psychology & Biobehavioral Sciences, demonstrated that radiation therapy was a significant individual contributor to hearing loss, a risk directly linked to cognitive health, in children treated for ependymoma. Read more: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117443

"By decentralizing these high-level services, the research team aimed to empower survivors with the knowledge necessary to pursue personalized survivorship care, which includes intensified screenings and prophylactic measures that can quite literally mean the difference between life and death." Read more: https://bioengineer.org/telehealth-is-transforming-genetic-care-for-childhood-cancer-survivors/

A randomized study found that early screening for risk factors was as helpful as screening plus one-on-one counseling. Read more: https://www.tctmd.com/news/adult-survivors-childhood-cancer-may-do-well-simple-strategy-cv-risk

Researchers have shown that subtle mutational differences in a gene called ATRX help explain why children with the same type of neuroblastoma respond differently to treatment. Read more: https://www.icr.ac.uk/about-us/icr-news/detail/new-research-reveals-how-subtle-genetic-differences-shape-neuroblastoma-behaviour

Stigmatization and labeling, sometimes rooted in misinformation about cancer, compounded isolation and shaped concerns about future roles, relationships, and opportunities. Read more: https://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/news/pediatric-cancer-alienation-improve-psychosocial-outcomes-treatment/

Researchers have uncovered the mechanisms behind three unique subtypes of mismatch repair deficient high-grade gliomas. The findings provide a clearer understanding of how these tumors develop, explain why patients respond differently to immunotherapy, and are already helping guide more precise therapies. Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-discovery-unique-brain-tumor-subtypes.html

A major study by UCL and Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan (INT) researchers has for the first time shown in detail how far children's cancer has spread at diagnosis in a way that can be compared between countries. Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-registry-analysis-links-year-childhood.html