Early detection of pediatric tumors

Approximately 160 per million children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer annually. In pediatric oncology presymptomatic screening investigations must concentrate on individuals or families with ahigh risk of developing cancer. Familial or, more commonly de novo individual germline mutations with a predisposition for cancer can currently be found in approximately 10% of pediatric cancer cases. Provided there is adequate penetrance, age-adjusted cancer screening programs are recommended as for example in the Li-Fraumeni syndrome with TP53 mutation. During or following cancerous diseases, certain constellations can raise the suspicion of an individual genetic predisposition. Cancer aftercare screening serves to detect relapses and secondary malignancies at an early stage. Inborn or acquired immunodeficiencies can be predominantly associated with a risk of lymphatic cancers. In symptomatic disease early diagnosis can contribute to abetter prognosis and serve to avoid initial cancer-linked complications.