Sidra Medicine Highlights Advances in Pediatric Oncology Research and Precision Care

Pediatric Oncology Report 2025 highlights progress in genomic profiling, personalized cancer care and research-led treatment in Qatar

Doha, Qatar – 24 September 2026: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has released the findings of its latest Pediatric Oncology Report 2025, to coincide with World Cancer Research Day and Cancer Awareness Month.

Developed through Sidra Medicine’s pediatric oncology and translational research programs, the report highlights the continued progress of pediatric cancer research and precision oncology in Qatar. It showcases how genomic and molecular insights are increasingly being integrated with clinical expertise to support more personalized care for children with cancer.

Dr. Wouter Hendrickx, Director of the Pediatric Oncology Qatar program (SPOQ) at Sidra Medicine, said: “Advances in pediatric oncology research are providing clinical teams with a deeper understanding of the individual characteristics of a child’s cancer and helping inform treatment decisions. Our work supports the country’s ambitions under Qatar National Vision 2030 to advance healthcare, research and innovation and strengthen specialized capabilities within the country. The program uses precision medicine approaches to better understand the molecular characteristics of pediatric tumors and support advances in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.”

Data reported by Sidra Medicine for the period from 2019 to 2025 recorded 538 pediatric cancer diagnoses, including 355 solid tumors and 183 non-solid cancers. Leukemia accounted for 34 percent of diagnoses, followed by central nervous system malignancies at 22 percent, lymphoma at 10 percent, neuroblastoma at 7 percent and germ cell tumors at 7 percent.

SPOQ is a collaborative effort by Sidra Medicine’s Research branch; Oncology and Hematology; Anatomical Pathology; Hematopathology; and Neurosurgery divisions. Over the past five years, the program has expanded its molecular diagnostic capabilities and introduced expedited Genomic Oncology Profiling, providing oncologists with timely information when treatment decisions are urgent.

Genomic and molecular profiling is increasingly integrated into pediatric oncology care at Sidra Medicine. This helps clinical teams better understand the biology of each child’s cancer and, where possible, identify more precisely matched treatment options. SPOQ brings together clinicians, researchers, coordinators, nurses and specialists to ensure that molecular information can support clinical decisions.

Building on these foundations, SPOQ continues to strengthen the integration between research and clinical care. It is also advancing cellular therapies for children with cancer in Qatar. Its Advanced Cell Therapy Core is developing personalized therapies, including approaches such as CAR-T, while Sidra Medicine’s Clinical Trial Office is supporting greater access to innovative clinical trials.

Dr. Chiara Cugno, Acting Division Chief of Hematology and Oncology, Clinical Lead for SPOQ and Director of the Advanced Cell Therapy Core at Sidra Medicine, said: “Progress in childhood cancer care is not only about developing new treatments. It is also about improving diagnosis and delivering the right care for each child. This is what makes Sidra Medicine unique, as we are one of the handful of hospitals in the world where precision care is very much part of the journey for each and every one of our hematology and oncology patients. We are proud to represent Sidra Medicine as an organization that has cancer care and research at the forefront of its precision medicine agenda.”

Sidra Medicine is Qatar’s only hospital with specialized services and expert teams dedicated to treating pediatric and adolescent cancers and blood disorders. Its multidisciplinary approach brings together pediatric oncologists and hematologists with specialists in pathology, genomics, radiology, surgery, neurosciences and other disciplines to support diagnosis and individualized treatment planning.

Indicators of this progress include a significant reduction in the number of pediatric cancer patients who need to leave Qatar to seek treatment abroad, as well as the introduction of complex therapies requiring extensive preparation and multidisciplinary collaboration, including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, immunotherapy, cell therapy and CAR-T cells  manufactured locally at Sidra Medicine’s Good Manufacturing Practice Facility. This reflects the growing expertise and clinical capabilities available in Qatar to provide increasingly advanced and personalized cancer care for children.

Looking ahead, Sidra Medicine aims to make comprehensive molecular profiling available to every pediatric cancer patient, supporting the development and use of the most innovative treatment approaches used around the world.

Sidra Medicine remains committed to providing children and adolescents with specialized, multidisciplinary cancer care while advancing research, precision medicine and innovative treatment approaches in Qatar.