A new research collaboration aims to transform the treatment of children with brain tumors by identifying hidden genetic drivers that current diagnostic technologies often miss. Read more: https://jagwire.augusta.edu/revolutionary-genome-mapping-tech-targets-childhood-brain-cancers/

Children with Down syndrome have a significantly increased risk of leukemia, while adults have a lower risk of several common solid tumors, according to a new register study from Karolinska Institutet published in the British Journal of Cancer. The results may contribute to more tailored cancer screening guidelines. Read more: https://news.ki.se/a-unique-cancer-risk-profile-in-down-syndrome-higher-leukemia-risk-in-childhood

Pediatric cancers follow their own biological rules, and understanding this distinction is the foundation of effective research. For Charles W.M. Roberts, MD, PhD, executive vice president and St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center director, this difference underpins his approach to discovering the next generation of therapies for children. Read more: https://www.stjude.org/research/progress/2026/why-biology-demands-different-playbook-for-kids-with-cancer.html

"The relapse usually happens in the first two years after diagnosis, Winters says, and is much harder to treat than the original occurrence. The current method of predicting relapse involves a bone marrow sample that is tested for specific proteins that indicate the presence of cancer, but Winters is interested in a genetic test that is more accurate and can be conducted via a simple blood draw." Read more: https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/predict-relapse-pediatric-a

Researchers at Oncode Institute and Princess Máxima Center have developed a new human model of the brainstem that is changing how one of the most aggressive childhood brain cancers can be studied. Read more: https://www.zonmw.nl/en/news/new-human-brain-model-deadly-childhood-brain-cancer

"The guidelines are clear: Survivorship care is important. But in many cases, care does not occur, and our study combines evidence from many sources to explain why" Read more: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-major-highlights-barriers-childhood-cancer.html

In a new study, Children’s Cancer Institute and UNSW Sydney researchers lab-tested a combined therapy approach on a group of difficult-to-treat brain tumours: diffuse midline gliomas (DMG). This group includes diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare but fatal childhood brain cancer. Read more: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/01/dual-therapy-shows-promise-for-childhood-brain-cancer

Researchers at the University of Louisville used a modern statistical method to reanalyze the results of children with a special type of high-risk medulloblastoma called Group 3, who participated in two major national clinical trials of therapies. Read more: https://www.uoflnews.com/section/science-and-tech/unique-statistical-approach-lends-promise-to-therapies-for-rare-childhood-brain-cancer/

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a potentially new treatment strategy aimed at immunologically “cold” tumors by restoring their ability to present antigens to the immune system. Read more: https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/oncology/new-approach-to-treating-cold-neuroblastoma-developed/

A new study indicates that adolescent and young adult cancer survivors age faster at the cellular level. Read more: https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/adolescent-cancer-survivors-age-faster-than-their-peers-408433