The European Paediatric Rare Tumours Network - European Registry (PARTNER) project for very rare tumors in children

Paediatric very rare tumours registration and management in European countries with low health expenditure average rates

PURPOSE

Within the Paediatric Rare Tumours Network-European Registry (PARTNER) project, we aimed to evaluate the situation on the registration and management of paediatric patients affected by very rare tumours (VRT) in the European low health expenditure average rates (LHEAR) countries.

METHODS

A survey regarding infrastructure, organisation, and clinical decision-making information on VRT was designed. This survey was distributed to the representatives of LHEAR countries involved in the activities of the PARTNER Work Package 7.

RESULTS

Eighteen answers from 17 countries were collected regarding the national organisation, methods of registration of VRT cases, the availability of medical experts in VRT, the access to updated diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (such as proton therapy, immunotherapy and, targeted therapies), and research on paediatric VRT. A high variability in the registration and management of patients with VRT has been observed with additional wide inequalities in pathology review, uniformity of clinical decisions, availability of selected procedures, and diagnostic and research tools.

CONCLUSION

In the majority of LHEAR countries, no clinical or research structures have been implemented for children and adolescents with VRT. Therefore, VRT still have an orphan status in these countries. These significant differences on the technology access and use between European regions need to be addressed.

A systematic overview of rare disease patient registries: challenges in design, quality management, and maintenance

Patient registries serve to overcome the research limitations inherent in the study of rare diseases, where patient numbers are typically small. Despite the value of real-world data collected through registries, adequate design and maintenance are integral to data quality. We aimed to describe an overview of the challenges in design, quality management, and maintenance of rare disease registries.A systematic search of English articles was conducted in PubMed, Ovid Medline/Embase, and Cochrane Library. Search terms included "rare diseases, patient registries, common data elements, quality, hospital information systems, and datasets". Inclusion criteria were any manuscript type focused upon rare disease patient registries describing design, quality monitoring or maintenance. Biobanks and drug surveillances were excluded.A total of 37 articles, published between 2001 and 2021, met the inclusion criteria. Patient registries covered a wide range of disease areas and covered multiple geographical locations, with a predisposition for Europe. Most articles were methodological reports and described the design and setup of a registry. Most registries recruited clinical patients (92%) with informed consent (81%) and protected the collected data (76%). Whilst the majority (57%) collected patient-reported outcome measures, only few (38%) consulted PAGs during the registry design process. Few reports described details regarding quality management (51%) and maintenance (46%).Rare disease patient registries are valuable for research and evaluation of clinical care, and an increasing number have emerged. However, registries need to be continuously evaluated for data quality and long-term sustainability to remain relevant for future use.

The French FRACTURE database: A way to improve knowledge on management of children with very rare tumors

INTRODUCTION

Very rare pediatric tumors (VRTs), defined by an annual incidence ≤2 per million inhabitants, represent a heterogeneous group of cancers. Due to their extremely low incidence, knowledge on these tumors is scant. Since 2012, the French Very Rare Tumors Committee (FRACTURE) database has recorded clinical data about VRTs in France. This study aims: (a) to describe the tumors registered in the FRACTURE database; and (b) to compare these data with those registered in the French National Registry of Childhood Cancer (RNCE).

METHODS

Data recorded in the FRACTURE database between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2018 were analyzed. In addition, these data were compared with those of the RNCE database between 2012 and 2015 to evaluate the completeness of the documentation and understand any discrepancies.

RESULTS

A total of 477 patients with VRTs were registered in the FRACTURE database, representing 97 histological types. Of the 14 most common tumors registered in the RNCE (772 patients), only 19% were also registered in the FRACTURE database. Total 39% of children and adolescent VRTs registered in the RNCE and/or FRACTURE database (323 of a total of 828 patients) were not treated in or linked to a specialized pediatric oncology unit.

CONCLUSION

VRTs represent many different heterogenous entities, which nevertheless account for 10% of all pediatric cancers diagnosed each year. Sustainability in the collection of these rare tumor cases is therefore important, and a regular systematic collaboration between the FRACTURE database and the RNCE register helps to provide a more exhaustive picture of these VRTs and allow research completeness for some peculiar groups of patients.

Development and Implementation of the AIDA International Registry for Patients with Non-Infectious Scleritis

Introduction

This article points out the design, methods, development and deployment of the international registry promoted by the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) Network with the aim to define and assess paediatric and adult patients with immune-mediated scleritis.

Methods

This registry collects both retrospective and prospective real-world data from patients with non-infectious scleritis through the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool and aims to promote knowledge and real-life evidence from patients enrolled worldwide; the registry also allows the collection of standardised data, ensuring the highest levels of security and anonymity of patients’ data and flexibility to change according to scientific acquisitions over time. The communication with other similar registries has been also ensured in order to pursue the sustainability of the project with respect to the adaptation of collected data to the most diverse research projects.

Results

Since the launch of the registry, 99 centres have been involved from 20 countries and four continents. Forty-eight of the centres have already obtained a formal approval from their local ethics committees. At present, the platform counts 259 users (95 principal investigators, 160 site investigators, 2 lead investigators, and 2 data managers); the platform collects baseline and follow-up data using 3683 fields organised into 13 instruments, including patient’s demographics, history, symptoms, trigger or risk factors, therapies and healthcare utilization.

Conclusions

The development of the AIDA International Registry for patients with non-infectious scleritis will allow solid research on this rare condition. Real-world evidence resulting from standardised real-life data will lead to the optimisation of routine clinical and therapeutic management, which are currently limited by the rarity of this ocular inflammatory condition.

Rare Tumors in Children and Adolescents - the STEP Working Group's Evolution to a Prospective Registry

Background Very rare tumors (VRT) in children and adolescents have such a low incidence that until recently, they have not been integrated into the clinical and scientific network of pediatric oncology. Data is very limited and consistent treatment strategies are missing. Thus, VRTs are classic orphan diseases. To counteract this problem, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Seltene Tumorerkrankungen in der Pädiatrie (STEP) was founded. Here we report on patient recruitment during the first 10 years. Patients Patients aged up to 18 years and not included in any other clinical trial or GPOH registry were included in this analysis. Methods Data was collected from 2008 to 2018 by means of a standardized form. The recorded diagnoses were descriptively analyzed focusing on histology, localization, and year of report. Results A total of 623 patients with VRTs were registered. During 2008-2014, the annual number of registrations was around 40 and is around 90 since 2015. Most frequent diagnoses included tumors of the skin (n=150), tumors of the gastrointestinal tract (n=102), tumors of the gonads (n=77), the ENT region (n=68), and miscellaneous tumors (n=107). Discussion With the establishment of central structures for clinical consultation and documentation of VRTs, the number of registrations increased. Comprehensively, VRTs are as common as other classic pediatric oncology tumors, but extremely heterogeneous in terms of localization, histology, and prognosis. By a centralized and complete registration and analysis of VRTs, also in collaboration with international partners, it is possible to develop treatment strategies and thus greatly increase treatment quality.

The impact of incomplete registration on survival rate of children with very rare tumors

Pediatric very rare tumors (VRTs) represent a heterogeneous subset of childhood cancers, with reliable survival estimates depending dramatically on each (un)registered case. The current study aimed to evaluate the number of VRTs among Lithuanian children, to assess the impact of the registration status on survival rates and to track changes in treatment outcomes over the 16-year study period. We performed a population-based retrospective study across children below 18 years old diagnosed with VRTs in Lithuania between the years 2000 and 2015. The identified cases were cross-checked with the Lithuanian Cancer Registry—a population-based epidemiology cancer registry—for the fact of registration and survival status. The overall survival was calculated in relation to the registration status and treatment period. Thirty-seven children with VRTs were identified within the defined time frame. Six of them (16.2%) were not reported to the Lithuanian Cancer Registry at diagnosis. The probability of overall survival at 5 years (OS_5y) differed significantly between the registered (n = 31) and unregistered (n = 6) cohorts: 51.6% versus 100%, respectively (p = 0.049). A 5-year survival estimate for children diagnosed with a VRT at the age of 0–14 years differed by 10 percentage points according to the registration completeness: 52.1% calculated for the entire cohort versus 42.1% for registered patients only. The OS_5y has not improved over the analyzed period: 61.1% in 2000–2007 versus 57.9% in 2008–2015 (p = 0.805). The survival continued to decline beyond 5 years post-diagnosis due to late cancer-related adverse events: 59.5% of patients were alive at 5 years as compared to 44.3% at 10 years. The OS_5y of children affected by VRT was lower than in more common childhood cancers. The survival rate of the unregistered patients may lead to misinterpretation of treatment outcomes. Meticulous registration of VRTs is crucial for correct evaluation of treatment outcomes, especially across small countries with few cases.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children and adolescents: The EXPeRT/PARTNER diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare pediatric tumor. Collaborative studies performed over the last decades showed improved results compared to historical data, but standardized guidelines for diagnosis and management of pediatric NPC are still unavailable. This study presents a European consensus guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric NPC developed by the European Cooperative Study Group for Pediatric Rare Tumors (EXPeRT). Main recommendations include induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-flurouracil, concomitant chemoradiotherapy in advanced disease, and to consider maintenance treatment with interferon beta (IFN-β) for selected high-risk patients. Dose adjustments of radiotherapy based on response to induction chemotherapy may decrease the rates of long-term treatment-related complications that affect most of the survivors.

Adrenocortical tumours in children and adolescents: The EXPeRT/PARTNER diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations

Adrenocortical tumours (ACTs) are rare during childhood. A complete surgical resection provides the best chance of cure, but the role and efficacy of the adjuvant therapy are still controversial. Various histologic criteria of malignancy for ACTs adopted in children do not facilitate comparative studies and are not completely shared. Therefore, a sharp demarcation between benign and malignant lesions has not been recognised, making it difficult to identify who potentially needs perioperative therapy. This manuscript presents the internationally harmonised recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ACTs in children and adolescents, established by the European Cooperative Study Group for Paediatric Rare Tumours (EXPeRT) group within the EU-funded project PARTNER (Paediatric Rare Tumours Network - European Registry).