Children's National Leaders Help Shape the Future of Pediatric Oncology at SIOP 2026 - Children's National

Children's National demonstrated its leadership in pediatric oncology during the 2026 International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) gathering in San Antonio, with a prominent presence at the joint SLAOP-SIOP North America Pre-Congress and representation at the SIOP Congress.

Through its nationally recognized Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's National is helping shape the future of pediatric cancer care, research and innovation. Its specialists combine expertise across oncology, hematology, blood and marrow transplant, cellular therapy and survivorship, while collaborating with colleagues around the world to improve outcomes for children with cancer.

That leadership was especially visible at the first joint conference between SLAOP (Sociedad Latinoamericana de Oncología Pediátrica) and SIOP North America, which was held prior to the main congress. Jeffrey Dome, MD, PhD, Eugene Hwang, MD, Amy Hont, MD, and Adriana Fonseca-Sheridan, MD, shared Children's National expertise with pediatric cancer leaders from North America and Latin America. The program fostered collaboration around pediatric cancer care, survivorship, access to treatment and clinical research.

At the SIOP Congress, Dr. Dome presented on behalf of Children's National, while the organization's booth provided an additional opportunity to connect with pediatric oncology leaders from around the world and showcase its expertise. As senior vice president of the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and North American Continental President of SIOP, he brings both deep clinical expertise and an international leadership perspective to the effort to advance childhood cancer care.

In the following Q&A, Dr. Dome discusses how global collaboration is changing pediatric oncology, the strengths Children's National brings to that work and the opportunities ahead to improve outcomes for children with cancer.

Q: You've had the opportunity to work with pediatric cancer leaders from around the world through your work with SIOP. How has that shaped the way you think about the future of childhood cancer care?
A: As a junior faculty member, one of my mentors advised me that it is important to gain an international perspective to fully understand the treatment of pediatric cancer. I took that to heart and attended my first SIOP conference in 2006. The meeting was eye-opening to learn that the largely North American Children's Oncology Group (COG) approach isn't the only way to treat childhood cancer. Valuable lessons can be learned across the spectrum of high, middle and low-income settings.

Q: Why are global partnerships and collaboration so important to advancing pediatric cancer research and treatment today?
A: Global partnerships are important for several reasons. First, 80% of the global childhood cancer burden occurs outside the United States and other high-income countries; and survival rates are considerably lower outside high-income settings. We must work together to address this disparity. Second, many childhood cancers are rare, and molecular analysis has created ever-smaller subgroups. It takes international collaboration to effectively study such rare subgroups. Third, different areas of the world have different treatment approaches from us and it may be beneficial to adopt certain aspects of treatment in our treatment regimens. We can only fully understand the different approaches through open exchange of information.

Q: Children's National is recognized as a leader in pediatric cancer care and research. What strengths does the organization bring to international collaborations aimed at improving outcomes for children with cancer?
A: Children's National is a recognized leader in several areas, including treatment of brain tumors, neuroblastoma, kidney cancers, sarcomas and high-risk leukemias. We are leaders in blood and marrow transplantation and gene therapy and pioneers in T-cell therapy for leukemias, brain tumors and solid tumors. We are proud to disseminate knowledge to assist others across the world.This year, you helped bring together experts from across North America and Latin America through the joint SLAOP-SIOP North America Pre-Congress. Why was that collaboration important?

The SLAOP-SIOP North America conference was the first-of -its-kind to build partnerships in our hemisphere. The conference program was generated in a fully collaborative manner, with input from leaders in both Latin America and North America. Each symposium had speakers from across the Americas, focusing on the current status, opportunities, and challenges specific to the different settings.

Q: What role do you see Children's National playing in shaping the future of pediatric cancer care, both nationally and globally?
A: I am proud that Children's National sponsored both the main SIOP Congress and the SLAOP-SIOP-North America pre-conference and hope to continue that tradition in the future. As an international leader in pediatric oncology research and care, it is our responsibility to promote global efforts to disseminate information and foster partnerships to create new knowledge.