We propose to organize and conduct the Sixth International Symposium on Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult (CAYA) Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) with the Dutch Children's Oncology Group (DCOG) at the De Doelen International Congress Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on Sept 26-29, 2018. The first, second and fourth symposia were held at the New York Sheraton Hotel and Towers in NYC, NY, in 2003, 2006 and 2012, the third in Frankfurt, Germany in 2009, and the fifth in Varese, Italy. Current problems that still affect CAYA patients with NHL include poor prognosis in low socioeconomic resourced countries, poor outcome in patients who relapse/progress, unacceptable short and long-term morbidity and a paucity of information on biological and pathogenics of CAYA with NHL. Unfortunately, there have been limited educational resources available to increasing our understanding of the epidemiology, basic biology, drug resistance, development of novel translational and targeted therapies and long term effects of this orphan disease and almost negligible educational conference support from the NIH and pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies. The primary objectives:1) Identify new targets in primary central nervous system lymphoma and the role of the DNA methylome in Burkitt Lymphoma; 2) Access the safety and efficacy of PD-1 and other targeted therapy in CAYA with NHL and HL; 3) Discuss the methodology and importance of circulating tumor DNA (CTDNA) and ?liquid biopsies? in CAYA NHL; 4) Determine the safety and efficacy of CAR-T-Cells and Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes (CTLs) in NHL; 5) Characterize the role and efficacy of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in all histologies of CAYA NHL; 6) Discuss novel agents and pipeline of new drug development in CAYA with NHL; 7) Determine the cellular origin and genetic mutations associated with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma; 8) Present new WHO Pathological entities in NHL. Secondary objectives: 1) To create an opportunity for investigators in training and young faculty to chair sessions, present their research and interface with more senior investigators; 2) to enhance communication and collaboration with a multidisciplinary group of international investigators in basic, translational and clinical research in CAYA NHL; 3) to provide an opportunity to conduct a state of the art educational program in CAYA NHL for investigators from less resourced socioeconomic environments; and 4) to facilitate and bridge the clinical and scientific gap between childhood vs AYA NHL. The results of the Sixth International Symposium will most likely increase our understanding of the basic, translational and clinical state of the scientific research in this group of rare diseases and provide an opportunity and platform to engage young and senior multidisciplinary and multinational investigators to develop international collaborative research that will ultimately lead to the development of less toxic and more specific molecular, immune and small molecule targeted based therapies for future generations of patients with CAYA NHL.
This international symposium on childhood, adolescent and young adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma will be attended by multidisciplinary and multinational investigators. The educational program will facilitate new knowledge in this field, facilitate international collaborative research, enhance the maturation of young investigators in this specialty and bridge the clinical and scientific gap between pediatric and medical oncologists treating adolescents and young adults (AYA) with non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma.
