Symposium Paediatric cancers and genomics: a major change?
Crossroads between social sciences, medicine and associations
On the initiative of this symposium, Sylvain Besle, has held since 2020 the Chair of Excellence of the National Cancer Institute (INCa): “Social issues of personalized medicine and innovations in oncology” and attached to the University Lyon 1. The objective of this symposium “Paediatric cancers & genomics” is to present social science work on the development of genomic medicine in pediatric oncology. It is more particularly a question of taking an interest in the social, ethical, legal and organizational issues of the management of childhood cancers through the prism of recent technological and therapeutic changes. Particular attention will be paid to the methodological approaches necessary to collect the experience of sick children and adolescents and their relatives.
For twenty years, the improvement of sequencing technologies as well as the arrival of new therapeutic classes (targeted therapies, immunotherapies, gene therapies) harbour the hope of an improvement in the management of pediatric cancers and in particular the most advanced forms (Lacour, et al., 2014). The enthusiasm for this genomic medicine and its massive deployment in certain countries raises many questions, both medical and societal. Indeed, the use of these sequencing technologies remains largely experimental, as its clinical benefits have not yet been fully proven, which raises ethical questions in terms of understanding, information and consent for parents and young patients. (from Montgolfier, et al., 2021).
This symposium wishes to extend these reflections by presenting numerous international works relating to different axes:
- Redrawing of the boundary between care and research
- Inequalities in access to care
- Social mobilizations
- Consent and data
- Word of the children
The symposium will be fully translated into French & English. Registration is free but required.