Ependymomics: Multiomic Approach to Radioresistance of Ependymomas in Children and Adolescents

What this Trial Is About

Ependymoma is the second most common brain tumor in children and adolescents, often treated with surgery and radiation. However, relapses occur in about half of cases, mainly at the original tumor site, due to factors like radio-resistance. Researchers aim to use advanced imaging, molecular biology, and artificial intelligence in the EPENDYMOMICS project to identify characteristics that predict relapse and define new radiotherapy targets, improving treatment strategies for this challenging disease. This project collects extensive clinical, biological, imaging, and radiotherapy data from previous studies and a national database called NETSPARE, involving over 370 children and adolescents treated in France. Researchers analyze multimodal MRI, histopathology, DNA methylation profiles, and other molecular data. They apply deep learning and radiomics techniques to develop predictive signatures that combine imaging and molecular features, aiming to identify radioresistant tumor clusters and improve understanding of relapse mechanisms. Participants' data include MRI scans, radiotherapy plans, clinical history, histology slides, and molecular analyses. Researchers perform detailed image processing and harmonization to standardize diverse data. They develop and validate radiogenomic signatures predicting progression-free survival and relapse patterns using large patient cohorts. The study tracks outcomes over 30 months, focusing on radiogenomics markers and potential new radiotherapy target volumes to guide future clinical trials addressing radioresistance in pediatric ependymoma.

Multiomic Approach to Radioresistance of Ependymomas in Children and Adolescents