Dr. Eric Bouffet’s Insights on Treating Pediatric Brain Tumors

During the “Biennial International Congress of Pediatric Oncology in Memory of Professor Vossough”, several international speakers delivered lectures on multidisciplinary approaches to pediatric common brain tumors.

One of these notable speakers was Dr. Eric Bouffet, as an Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto, Canada. He worked as the Head of the Neuro-Oncology section in the Division of Oncology at SickKids hospital of Toronto from 2000 to 2022 and held the Garron Family Chair in Childhood Cancer Research from 2011 to 2022.

Dr. Bouffet also served as the President of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) from 2016 to 2019. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the Franco-African Group of Pediatric Oncology, and Chair of the ‘My Child Matters’ experts’ committee with Foundation S – The Sanofi Collective.

In his first speech which was virtually delivered on the first day of the congress, Dr. Bouffet discussed “Pediatric Low Grade Glioma,” addressing the complexities of managing this condition. He highlighted the importance of molecular tools and markers in understanding disease behavior and progression, along with various treatment options such as targeted therapy and chemotherapy.

Dr. Bouffet emphasized the need to balance potential benefits with risks and side effects, stressing the essential nature of monitoring side effects and refining treatment strategies for advancing pediatric brain tumor treatment.

On the second day of the congress, Dr. Bouffet presented an additional online lecture focusing on “Infant Medulloblastoma/High Dose Chemotherapy.” During this talk, he highlighted the significance of closely monitoring side effects and consistently enhancing treatment strategies to drive progress in pediatric brain tumor therapy.

Dr. Bouffet also underscored the critical role of molecular diagnosis in identifying genetic alterations and customizing treatment approaches accordingly. Moreover, he explored the challenges of managing pediatric brain tumors in low to middle-income settings and discussed the potential benefits of targeted therapies like BRAF inhibitors.