Ccomprehensive
CHildehood
CNS tumor
Consortium
Research into childhood brain tumors atRigshospitalet and Aarhus University Hospital
ABOUT 5C
Tumors in the central nervous system (CNS) make up approx. 25% of all childhood cancers. These diseases are associated with a high risk of permanent physical and mental disabilities as well as a significant risk of treatment failure and death.
Compared to other cancers, diagnosis is often delayed and biological classification of brain tumors is difficult. Compared to blood cancer and many solid tumors, the treatment of brain tumors is more complex, as the protection of the normal (and in children not fully developed) brain places limitations on what treatment can be carried out.
Although CNS tumors as a whole are frequent, all subtypes are rare, necessitating national and international collaboration to optimally investigate and treat patients. Survival for children with CNS tumors has improved over recent decades, but remains below the average for childhood cancers. In addition, CNS tumor patients are often burdened by serious side effects - not least due to CNS irradiation, which significantly reduces their quality of life and learning ability, which affects the whole family.
WHO IS 5C
5C is a national consortium that will create a strong clinical and scientific platform for the development of new strategies within diagnostics, treatment and follow-up of children with CNS tumors. By integrating the interdisciplinary teams at Aarhus University Hospital and Rigshospitalet as well as our scientific collaboration partners in Denmark and internationally, 5C aims to strengthen 7 areas of action:
Tumor etiology, including investigating whether variants in the individual patient's DNA affect the risk of developing a brain tumor or the treatment response;
Previous diagnostics by increased awareness of the symptoms in the population and health care;
Tumor biology, including securing tissue in the biobank;
Improved diagnostics, Among other things. by better methods of brain scanning;
Better treatment by early introduction of new international treatment protocols;
Creation of multidisciplinary national video conferences for discussion of the individual patient;
Better habilitation, including national programs for neuropsychological examination and strategies for physical exercise, education and cognitive development and support.
5C the program has established a family/patient panel to ensure that the problems that burden the families are mapped and addressed. 5C will also collaborate with and be supported by an international advisory panel (Sweden, Germany and Canada) of leading experts in pediatric brain tumors.
COORDINATION
5C is coordinated by senior physician René Mathiasen from Rigshospitalet's childhood cancer laboratory, Bonkolab, under the direction of Kjeld Schmiegelow, professor of childhood cancer and paediatrics.
Advisory board
Prof. Klas Blomgren, Vice Head of the Department of Women's and Children's Health Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. His research is focused on damage and repair in the developing brain and aims to minimize the effects of damage and promote repair mechanisms.
Prof. Eric Buffett, Director, Brain Tumor Program, Hematology/Oncology, Sickkids, Toronto, Canada. Research in the area of new treatments and clinical trials in children with brain tumors, treatment and genomic characterization of pediatric low-grade gliomas, clinical and genomic characterization of malignant pediatric brain tumors.
Prof. Stefan Pfister, Professor of Pediatrics, University Medical Center for Children and Adolescents
Angelika Lautenschläger Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany. Research focuses on the genetic and epigenetic characterization of brain tumors in children by using next-generation profiling methods and subsequently translating new findings into a clinical context.