Pediatric Adrenal Neoplasms

Adrenal neoplasms such as neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroma, pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma, adrenocortical carcinoma and other adrenal cortical tumors present unique diagnostic and management challenges in pediatric populations related to both their rare and often highly aggressive nature. Variable genomic alterations and clinical and biochemical presentations among different patient age groups adds to the complexity and challenge of treatment of pediatric adrenal neoplasms. The heterogeneous nature of these neoplasms, which can range from spontaneous remission or a relatively benign course to dangerous hormonal hyper-secretion or rapidly progressive metastasis, also mandates a need for improved diagnostic and prognostic tools for disease identification and stratification. To this end, advances in genomics that have illuminated new signaling pathways and biomarkers are leading to revised adrenal neoplasm taxonomies that offer new opportunities for disease stratification and treatment. There is additional need for multidisciplinary approaches and uniformly defined international diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to stratify pediatric patients with adrenal neoplasms based on clinical and biological criteria; this is not only to ensure that patients receive appropriate personalized treatment but also entry into surveillance programs that when required can be transitioned for subsequent adult care.

The main objective of this Research Topic is to provide an update on new diagnostic and prognostic tools, management procedures, and treatments for children with adrenal neoplasms. Coverage of this topic will provide an important resource for clinicians and offer immediate guidance in daily clinical practice.

Themes of interest include, but are not limited to several areas:
• Genomics of pediatric adrenal neoplasms
• Genetic testing and counseling in pediatric populations and family members
• Age-related differences in presentation and pathogenic mechanisms of adrenal neoplasms
• Introduction of novel diagnostic and prognostic bio- and imaging-markers for disease detection and stratification according to metastatic progression and need for targeted therapies
• Novel molecular-targeted and personalized therapeutic strategies
• Surveillance programs and transition care for post-operative pediatric patients and germline mutation carriers

Articles will be accepted in the form of original research, clinical trials, systematic literature reviews, review articles, mini reviews, as well as case reports or case series.