Daunorubicin appeared associated with a lower cardiomyopathy risk than doxorubicin among childhood cancer survivors, according to a multicenter cohort study published in JAMA Oncology. Read more: https://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/pediatric-oncology/news/in-the-journals/%7Bc480352e-3ab4-42b1-b33e-4e049f3371b3%7D/daunorubicin-reduces-cardiomyopathy-risk-compared-with-doxorubicin-in-childhood-cancer-survivors

Discovering this link – by which MYCN controls polyamine levels in cancer cells, driving the growth and proliferation of the neuroblastoma cells – means that scientists for the first time have a potential therapeutic "way in" to disrupting cancer cell growth. Read more: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-research-team-led-by-australian-scientists-discover-a-potential-way-to-treat-and-prevent-cancer-in-children-with-neuroblastoma-300786554.html

Curing the childhood eye cancer retinoblastoma often comes at a cost. The tumor, which sprouts in the retina and primarily occurs in children under the age of 5, is fatal if not treated. Yet chemotherapy can cause permanent vision loss, and patients sometimes need surgery to remove one or both eyes. Now, scientists have found that a cancer-slaying virus seems to combat this cancer in mice without serious side effects. Read more: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/01/cancer-slaying-virus-may-fight-childhood-eye-tumor

Scientists at the University of British Columbia and BC Children's Hospital are the first in Canada to use a new test for pediatric tumour analysis that may one day guide personalized treatments for children with cancer. Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-01-tumor-personalized-treatment-children-cancer.html

In mouse studies, a Stanford-led team has developed an engineered immune cell that eliminates several types of childhood tumors. The innovation may help patients with relapsed or metastatic disease. Read more: http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2019/01/engineered-immune-cells-target-broad-range-of-pediatric-tumors.html

Researchers used integrated genomic analysis, including RNA sequencing, to define the genomic landscape of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in almost 2,000 children and adults. Read more: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20190114/Researchers-identify-multiple-new-subtypes-of-most-common-childhood-cancer.aspx

New research by POGO is linking data from its cancer registry (POGONIS) to copies of Canadian tax returns stored at Statistics Canada. Families who experience a diagnosis of childhood cancer are being compared to families who do not experience cancer and are similar in age to the parents, in number and age of the children, where they live and income at the time of diagnosis. Read more: https://www.pogo.ca/what-price-do-families-pay-when-a-child-has-cancer/

Childhood cancer survivors who received cardiotoxic treatment are at high risk of heart failure at a young age, researchers say. Read more: https://www.mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/top-medical-news/article/2019/01/10/7552936/

A new study by UNSW medical researchers sheds light on an understudied area – community beliefs about what causes cancer in children. Read more: https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/what-blame-childhood-cancer-we-often-misunderstand-reality

The CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) demonstrated durable remissions in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Read more: https://www.onclive.com/web-exclusives/lead-researcher-highlights-tisagenlecleucel-benefit-in-younger-leukemia-patients

The FDA expanded the approval of dasatinib tablets to include its use with chemotherapy for children aged 1 year or older with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Read more: https://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/leukemia/news/online/%7Bd076ee13-cf60-4cb3-9968-78d2cbf0a76f%7D/fda-expands-sprycel-approval-to-include-certain-children-with-acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia