Key takeaways on precision oncology in pediatric and AYA sarcomas by Dr. Jack Shern

Shushan Hovsepyan shared on LinkedIn:

“Yesterday I was watching a super informative lecture from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting on precision oncology in pediatric and AYA sarcomas by Dr. Jack Shern.

Here are some key takeaways:

Dr. Shern highlighted the critical aspects of precision oncology, emphasizing its potential to provide accurate diagnoses, develop targeted therapies, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

This approach is particularly crucial for rare pediatric sarcomas, where personalized treatment strategies can make a significant difference.

Major international efforts involving comprehensive molecular profiling that aim to identify actionable alterations.

• MAPPYACTS (Europe)
• INFORM (Germany)
• ZERO childhood cancer (Australia)
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) Pediatric
• MATCH (USA)
• KiCS (Canada)

Key Findings:

• 37% of enrolled cases across these studies had a sarcoma diagnosis.
• 33% of sarcoma cases had actionable alterations, although the definition of “actionable” varied across studies.
• Germline alterations were identified in 10-20% of pediatric and AYA sarcoma cases.

Challenges:

• Limited Actionable Alterations.
• Implementation Barriers
• High costs, accessibility, and inconsistent initiation of molecular testing.
• Underutilized Germline Testing: it often goes untested and uncounseled.

Key recommendations:

• Routine Molecular Profiling: Implementing comprehensive molecular profiling to ensure accurate diagnoses and prognostic assessments.
• Targeted Drug Strategies: Developing and refining targeted drug strategies and combination therapies specifically for sarcoma patients.

Enhanced Patient and Family Engagement: Fostering transparent communication and shared decision-making processes with patients and their families.”

Source: Shushan Hovsepyan/LinkedIn

Shushan Hovsepyan is a pediatric oncologist and adjunct assistant professor at the Yerevan State Medical University. Currently, she is the Editor-in-Chief of OncoDaily Medical Journal.

She completed her clinical fellowship at the National Institute of Cancer in Milan, Italy and at the St. Anna Children’s Research Hospital in Austria Furthermore, she held a research fellowship position at the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer in Brussels, Belgium.

Dr. Hovsepyan also completed the Postgraduate Harvard Medical School’s Effective Writing for Healthcare program. She is a former co-chair of the SIOP Global Health Network Education and Training Working Group.