Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Program at Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children's Hospital

Thirty percent of the approximately 12,500 children diagnosed with cancer each year may have a genetic cause for their disease.

A promising area of research in childhood cancer is genomic medicine, in which the genes of children with certain cancer diagnoses are closely examined. Advances in this field have shown that certain childhood cancers are related to specific genetic variations. Some of these same genetic changes may also cause other physical or developmental differences, and when grouped together, are considered to be a cancer predisposition syndrome.

In this segment, Dr Todd Druley explains how The Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Program at Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine seeks to identify at-risk children through genetic testing and diagnostic screenings, and can increase the likelihood of early detection and treatment.