Blocking energy production pathways in an aggressive type of brain cancer in children could be a promising new therapeutic strategy, according to research in mice by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators. Read more: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2026/04/blocking-energy-metabolism-may-help-treat-aggressive-pediatric-brain-tumor

A troubling new study from MIT reveals that a common environmental contaminant, NDMA—found in polluted water, certain medications, and even processed foods—may pose a far greater cancer risk to children than adults. Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260428045546.htm

A research team identified three genes connected to a rare form of childhood leukaemia and found that clinically available drugs had a positive influence on these genes in tests on mice, increasing rates of survival. Read more: https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/repurposed-drugs-could-improve-treatment-for-rare-infant-leukaemia/68964/

A new liquid biopsy test using artificial intelligence models could help spot a rare type of bone and soft tissue cancer that predominantly affects children and adolescents. The test is being developed by researchers funded by British charity Cancer Research UK for Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer with a high risk of spreading that can evade modern scanning techniques. Read more: https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/blood-test-powered-ai-shows-early-promise-monitoring-rare-child

UC Irvine-led study found that exposure to previously unknown PFAS chemicals was associated with a higher risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer. Read more: https://news.uci.edu/2026/04/27/forever-chemicals-may-be-linked-to-childhood-leukemia/

In multiple models of Ewing sarcoma—a rare and aggressive cancer affecting children and young adults—the treatment eliminated established tumors and dramatically reduced the spread of cancer. Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-therapy-aggressive-childhood-adult-cancers.html

Efforts to develop effective therapies for MYC-amplified Group 3 medulloblastoma (G3-MB) are hindered by an incomplete understanding of how MYC expression is controlled in these tumors. Read more: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1125370

Researchers at Linköping University show how two important cancer-related proteins can be prevented from collaborating with each other. The discovery shows the way toward future medications to combat, for example, neuroblastoma in children. Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-scientists-undruggable-childhood-cancer-protein.html