Children’s Oncology Group’s 2023 blueprint for research: Renal tumors

Geller JI, Hong AL, Vallance KL, Evageliou N, Aldrink JH, Cost NG, Treece AL, Renfro LA, Mullen EA. Children’s Oncology Group’s 2023 blueprint for research: Renal tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023 Sep;70 Suppl 6(Suppl 6):e30586. doi: 10.1002/pbc.30586. Epub 2023 Jul 21. PubMed PMID: 37477907; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10529605.

Every year, approximately 600 infants, children and adolescents are diagnosed with renal cancer in the United States. In addition to Wilms tumor (WT) which accounts for about 80% of all pediatric renal cancers, clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, renal cell carcinoma, malignant rhabdoid tumor as well as more rare cancers (other sarcomas, rare carcinomas, lymphoma) and benign tumors can originate within the kidney. WT itself can be divided into favorable histology (FHWT), with a 5-year overall survival (OS) exceeding 90%,1-4 and anaplastic histology, with 4-yr OS of 73.7%.5,6 Outcomes for the other pediatric renal cancers include clear cell sarcoma (5-yr OS, 90%), malignant rhabdoid tumor (5-yr OS, 10% for stage 3 and 4), and renal cell carcinoma (4-yr OS, 84.8%).7 Recent clinical trials have identified novel biological prognostic markers for FHWT, and a series of COG trials have demonstrated an improving outcomes with therapy modification, and opportunities for further care refinement.