Grant: Project Grant

Cancer predisposition syndromes are genetic diseases that increase the risk of developing one or more cancers over a lifetime. More than 10% of children who are diagnosed with cancer have and underlying cancer predisposition syndrome. Cancer predisposition syndromes are very difficult to recognize in children with over 125 currently known types. These patients need to be referred to Genetics in order to make the diagnosis. Our team has developed an eHealth decision-support tool, called MIPOGG (McGill Interactive Pediatric OncoGenetic Guidelines), that helps doctors recognize their patients with cancer who need to be referred to Genetics because they are at increased risk of having a cancer predisposition syndrome. This study aims to evaluate the performance of MIPOGG in detecting children with and without a cancer predisposition syndrome in a large childhood cancer patient population as well as to determine MIPOGG's costs and effects compared with other existing cancer predisposition syndrome detection strategies. When a cancer predisposition syndrome is diagnosed, doctors can initiate tumor surveillance protocols and sometimes change the treatment of their patients' in order to improve their quality of life and chances of survival. All children and families should have an equal chance at being identified with a cancer predisposition syndrome, independently of where they live and by whom they are treated. MIPOGG is a simple and accessible clinical decision-support tool made for doctors, benefitting pediatric oncology patients and their families.