Sidra Medicine highlights advances in pediatric oncology research, precision care

DOHA: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has released the findings of its latest Pediatric Oncology Report 2025, to coincide with World Cancer Research Day and Cancer Awareness Month.

Developed through Sidra Medicine’s pediatric oncology and translational research programmes, the report highlights the continued progress of pediatric cancer research and precision oncology in Qatar. It showcases how genomic and molecular insights are increasingly being integrated with clinical expertise to support more personalised care for children with cancer.

Director of the Pediatric Oncology Qatar programme (SPOQ) at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Wouter Hendrickx said: “Advances in pediatric oncology research are providing clinical teams with a deeper understanding of the individual characteristics of a child’s cancer and helping inform treatment decisions. Our work supports the country’s ambitions under Qatar National Vision 2030 to advance healthcare, research and innovation and strengthen specialized capabilities within the country. The programme uses precision medicine approaches to better understand the molecular characteristics of pediatric tumors and support advances in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.”

Data reported by Sidra Medicine for the period from 2019 to 2025 recorded 538 pediatric cancer diagnoses, including 355 solid tumors and 183 non-solid cancers. Leukemia accounted for 34 percent of diagnoses, followed by central nervous system malignancies at 22 percent, lymphoma at 10 percent, neuroblastoma at 7 percent and germ cell tumors at 7 percent.

SPOQ is a collaborative effort by Sidra Medicine’s Research branch; Oncology and Hematology; Anatomical Pathology; Hematopathology; and Neurosurgery divisions.

Acting Division Chief of Hematology and Oncology, Clinical Lead for SPOQ and Director of the Advanced Cell Therapy Core at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Chiara Cugno said: “Progress in childhood cancer care is not only about developing new treatments. It is also about improving diagnosis and delivering the right care for each child.

"This is what makes Sidra Medicine unique, as we are one of the handful of hospitals in the world where precision care is very much part of the journey for each and every one of our hematology and oncology patients. We are proud to represent Sidra Medicine as an organization that has cancer care and research at the forefront of its precision medicine agenda.”