Greeting
APHOG was well represented at the SIOP-Asia 2026 Conference, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from June 25– 28. During the conference, APHOG held its 2026 Annual Meeting, where the newly elected members of 10 APHOG committees were formally approved. Committee members will serve three-year terms, extendable to a maximum of six years.
As another important step forward, each of the 10 committees has elected its Chair from among its members. APHOG is now progressing with the nomination of candidates for the remaining seven committees: Neuroblastoma, Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Liver Tumor, Data Management/Statistics, Radiotherapy, Cell Therapy, and Pathology. These key developments will further strengthen APHOG’s organizational infrastructure and support its mission to improve survival and quality of care for children with cancer and blood disorders across Asia.
Alice L. Yu, MD, PhD Academician, Academia Sinica, Taiwan Distinguished Chair Professor at the Institute of Stem Cell and Translational Cancer Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou & Chang Gung University, Taiwan Professor Emeritus in Department of Pediatrics,
Gold September: Advancing Childhood Cancer Care
Through Clinical Trials in Asia
Each September, we observe Gold September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month; a time to renew our commitment to ensuring that every child with cancer has the best possible chance of cure. Much of the progress achieved in pediatric oncology over recent decades has been driven by collaborative clinical trials. Yet, across many parts of Asia, opportunities for children to participate in such trials remain limited. Recent analyses of pediatric oncology clinical trials in Asia highlight encouraging momentum, but also underscore important gaps in research capacity, cross-border collaboration, and equitable access. Working together, APHOG, in partnership with SIOP Asia, is well positioned to help address these challenges by strengthening regional research networks, fostering multicentre collaboration, and expanding access to high-quality clinical trials. This Gold September, let us turn awareness into action by advancing collaborative research that will improve outcomes for every child with cancer across our region. For further reading: Clinical Trials in Pediatric Oncology in Asia: Current Landscape and Future Opportunities․
Muhammad Saghir Khan, MD King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Al Madinah al Munawarah Executive Council, APHOG
Urgent announcement
September 15th-18th, 2026 “SIOP 2026” Congress, San Antonio, USA
APHOG Working Group Session: “The Burden of Childhood Cancer Clinical Research in Asia”
September 16th WED, 2026; 10:00~11:50, Rm 221
Program: (110 mins in total)
Akira Nakagawara – 15 min
Chairman, Executive Council, Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group (APHOG)
Title: “Global Perspective and Progress of APHOG in 2026”
Godfrey Chan – 15 min
The University of Hong Kong, China, and Secretary General, APHOG
Title: “Rare but essential: the potential collaborative trials on EWSR1 related sarcomas”
Yijin Gao – 10 min
Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, China
Title: “Building a Clinical Study System toward Improving Patients’ Outcome: Journey of CCCG Lymphoma Group in the Past Decade”
<Panel discussion> – 70 min “The Burden of Childhood Cancer Clinical Research in Asia: Challenges and Future Directions”
Chairpersons:
Rejin Kebudi, Secretary-General, SIOP
Godfrey Chan, Secretary-General, APHOG
Panelists:
Asim Belgaumi – 8 min
Member, Department of Global Pediatric Medicine and Director, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Title: “Pediatric Oncology Research Capacity Building in the Eastern Mediterranean Region”
Rashmi Dalvi – 8 min
Executive Council, Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group (APHOG)
Title: “Bridging the Survival Gap through Collaborative Childhood Cancer Research across Asia”
Gevorg Tamamyan – 8 min
Continental President of Asia, SIOP, and Chairman, POEM
Title: “TBA”
Claudia Sampor – 8 min
President-Elect and current Vice-President, SLAOP
Title: “Childhood Cancer Research in Latin America: Bridging Gaps Through Regional Collaboration”
Chetan Dhamne – 8 min
Professor of Pediatric Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, India
Title: “Building Research Capacity in LMICs and Asia through PARC & CREDO” (tentative)
Commentator:
Kirill Kirgizov – 4 min
Member, Advisory Board, APHOG
General Discussion – 26 min
Organization and Governance
Prof. Godfrey Chi-Fung Chan Pediatric Hematology Oncology Centre, Hong Kong
Sanatorium & Hospital Cancer Centre, Honorary Clinical
Prof., The University of Hong Kong , Executive Council,
APHOG
The APHOG Chairman, Executive Committee Members and Advisory Board Members would like to welcome the first batch of disease and functional group committee members, and their respective elected Chairpersons to our APHOG family. This is a major step forward and we expect the collaboration and research will progress accordingly under this platform. Individual group should start to discuss among themselves on any feasible clinical, translational or basic science projects. Chairman of each group should coordinate the meeting and report the progress to the EC & AB. We also would like to extend our invitation to professional experts from countries that have not been participating to join us in the future. We are looking forward for fruitful collaborations among pediatric oncology professionals in Asia.
Announcement of Committee Chair Appointments
| Committee | Chair | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Hematology Committee | Dr Suradej Hongeng | Thailand |
| Hematological malignancy Committee | Dr Yongmin Tang | China (Mainland) |
| Solid tumors Committee | Dr Soh Shui Yen | Singapore |
| Brain tumors Committee | Dr Keita Terashima | Japan |
| Surgical oncology Committee | Dr Huanmin Wang | China (Mainland) |
| Epidemiology Committee | Dr Miho Kato | Japan |
| Supportive care Committee | Dr Muhammad Saghir Khan | Saudi Arabia |
| Survivorship Committee | Dr Maya Prasad | India |
| New treatment modalities Committee | Dr Alice Yu | Taiwan |
| Basic science / Laboratory Committee | Dr Akira Nakagawara | Japan |
| Committee | Chair | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Hematology Committee | Dr Suradej Hongeng | Thailand |
| Hematological malignancy Committee | Dr Yongmin Tang | China (Mainland) |
| Solid tumors Committee | Dr Soh Shui Yen | Singapore |
| Brain tumors Committee | Dr Keita Terashima | Japan |
| Surgical oncology Committee | Dr Huanmin Wang | China (Mainland) |
| Epidemiology Committee | Dr Miho Kato | Japan |
| Supportive care Committee | Dr Muhammad Saghir Khan | Saudi Arabia |
| Survivorship Committee | Dr Maya Prasad | India |
| New treatment modalities Committee | Dr Alice Yu | Taiwan |
| Basic science / Laboratory Committee | Dr Akira Nakagawara | Japan |
INSIDE APHOG
Faculty Spotlight
As Pakistan’s first formally trained Pediatric Neuro-oncologist, I have been privileged to establish the country’s first multidisciplinary Pediatric Neuro-oncology program, develop national treatment guidelines, and launch Pakistan’s first Pediatric Neuro-oncology Fellowship at Aga Khan University Hospital. My journey has reinforced that many of the challenges we face including limited resources, delayed diagnosis, and unequal access to specialized care are shared across Asia. These common challenges also present a unique opportunity for meaningful regional collaboration. I believe APHOG provides an invaluable platform to unite clinicians, researchers, and institutions to share expertise, harmonize treatment approaches, advance collaborative research, and strengthen education and training. Together, we can build sustainable capacity, generate evidence that reflects the realities of our region, and ensure that every child with a brain tumor across Asia has access to timely, high-quality, evidence-based care and the best possible chance of survival.
Dr. Naureen Mushtaq MBBS, MCPS, FCPS, Pediatric Neuro-oncologist, Professor of Pediatric Oncology. Department of Oncology Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan
APHOG Network
Collaboration through educational activities
With the advances in diagnostic methods (e.g., next-generation sequencing) and treatment approaches (e.g., immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy), which have dramatically changed clinical practice during the last decade, the outcomes of pediatric cancer in high-income countries (HICs) have improved remarkably. However, access to these advanced methods differs significantly between HICs and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Department of Global Pediatric Medicine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is working to bridge the gaps in access by introducing new strategies such as nanopore DNA sequencing and the Blinatumomab Humanitarian Access Program in LMICs. In addition, enhancing the education of pediatric hematologist/oncologists is critical to ensure that they gain up-to-date knowledge of the field and to nurture the next generation of leaders. APHOG can contribute to these access and educational initiatives by working with other international or national societies.
Hiroto Inaba, MD, PhD Member, Leukemia/Lymphoma Division, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine Director, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Featured Clinical Research
Long-term follow-up care (LTFU) involves providing survivors with risk-based screening, psychosocial support, and health promotion interventions. The WHO CureAll Framework (2021) highlights this need, yet implementation in Asia remains underexplored. We surveyed 87 pediatric oncology centers in Asia to assess the current landscape of remains programs. Basic late effects screening was available in most clinics across income levels, but <50% had specialized LTFU clinics. Marked disparities were observed in multidisciplinary care and psychosocial support between LMICs and HICs. Findings underscore the need for resource-stratified recommendations. Results were published in BMJ Global Health (DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018816), with a narrative review outlined in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health (DOI: 10.1016/S2352-4642(25)00223-8). Next, a Delphi consensus study will identify regional priorities for collaboration, led jointly by APHOG, SIOP Asia, and St. Jude VIVA. Interested members who would like to complete the survey may contact Yin Ting (yinting.cheung@cuhk.edu.hk). We look forward to your collaboration!
Yin Ting Cheung, Ph.D. Associate Professor School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine Hong Kong Hub of Obstetric and Paediatric Excellence The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
Survey of Pediatric Cancer Data Centers in Asia We have launched an international survey to map the functions and capacities of pediatric cancer data centers across Asia. The project aims to strengthen regional collaboration and build a more robust research infrastructure for childhood cancer. We are pleased to report that 12 countries and regions have initiated responses, including those still in progress. The first phase of the survey, which asks whether a pediatric cancer data center exists in each country or region, will remain open until October 31. This is an invitation-only study. A data management lead or national representative from each participating country or region was contacted individually. We sincerely appreciate the cooperation and support of all participating countries and regions!
Miho Kato, MD, DrPH Administrative Committee Co-chair, Epidemiology Committee Chair, APHOG Chief, Department of Childhood Cancer Data Management, National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD) Director, Japan Children’s Cancer Group NCCHD Data Center
APHOG Academia
We are delighted to announce that our colleague, Prof. Maya Prasad, has received the SIOP GHN AYA Care Award 2026! She leads one of India’s largest childhood cancer survivorship programmes and has made significant contributions to AYA oncology, survivorship care, and the development of evidence-based guidelines for low- and middle-income countries. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the SIOP Survivorship Network. APHOG warmly congratulates Maya on this well-deserved recognition and wishes her continued success. Read the SIOP announcement․
Announcements
in 2026
- September 5 (On-site) “WHO GICC 2026 in Tokyo”
- September 13-14 “SLAOP/SIOP North America 2026” (San Antonio, Texas, USA)
- September 15-18 “SIOP 2026” (San Antonio, Texas, USA)
- September 16 “APHOG Session”
- October 6-9 “COG Fall Group Meeting” (Chicago, USA)
- November 4 (Virtual) “APHOG/SIOP Asia Joint Symposium 2026” Theme: Germ Cell Tumor
- December 2 (Virtual) “APHOG Global Seminar 2026” Theme: AML
in 2027
- April 2-7 “AACR Annual Meeting 2027” (Orlando, USA)
- May 31- June 2 “SIOP Asia 2027” (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
- June 4-8 “ASCO Annual Meeting 2027” (Chicago, USA)
- September 8-11 “SIOP 2027” (Sydney, Australia)
“During SIOP 2026”
Tuesday, September 15, 7:00-9:45, Room 222
Number of participants: 20
Group name: Landscape of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Asia: survey of SIOP Asia/APHOG
Proposed talks:
- Welcome address – Akira Nakagawara, Gevorg Tamamyan, 15 mins
- Importance of HSCT in pediatric oncology and Hematology – Muhammad Saghir Khan, 15 mins
- Overview of Survey on Landscape of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Asia – Kirill Kirgizov, 15 mins
- Discussion and Q&A – 60 mins
APHOG Communication Mailing List Registration
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This link is accessible only from within Asia.
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORIAL
Dear Colleagues and Friends, It is our pleasure to present the 5th issue of the APHOG Friends Newsletter. This edition brings together updates from across APHOG, including our organization and governance, faculty, network, clinical research, and academic activities. We also highlight developments related to the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, along with reports and announcements from our colleagues across the region. We hope this issue provides an opportunity to stay connected, learn from each other, and share our experiences and achievements. We sincerely thank all contributors and readers for their continued support and engagement with APHOG.
Warm regards,
On behalf of the Editorial Team
Maya Prasad Professor, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
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