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. 2025 Apr;72(4):e31538.
doi: 10.1002/pbc.31538. Epub 2025 Jan 23.

Lymph Node Staging and Treatment in Pediatric Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Consensus Opinion From the Children's Oncology Group, European paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group, and the Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe

Sheila Terwisscha van Scheltinga  1 , Reineke A Schoot  1 , Jonathan C Routh  2 , Guido Seitz  3   4 , Simon C Kao  5 , Bart de Keizer  1   6 , Barry Shulkin  7 , Roelof van Ewijk  1 , Beth McCarville  7 , Dana Casey  8 , Wendy Allen-Rhoades  9 , Federico Mercolini  10 , Hans Merks  1   11 , Daniel Orbach  12 , Tejas Kapadia  13 , David O Walterhouse  14 , Raquel Davila Fajardo  1   15 , Laura Hiemcke-Jiwa  1   16 , Christiane Franzius  17   18 , Federica De Corti  19 , Vivian Tang  13 , Jonathan Metts  20 , Saphna Oberoi  21 , Christian Vokuhl  22 , Roshni Dasgupta  23 , Suzi Birz  24 , David Rodeberg  25
Affiliations

Lymph Node Staging and Treatment in Pediatric Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Consensus Opinion From the Children's Oncology Group, European paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group, and the Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe

Sheila Terwisscha van Scheltinga et al. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Accurate staging of nodal involvement in pediatric sarcoma patients is important to determine correct systemic and local therapy, with the goal to reduce subsequent recurrences. However, differences in lymph node staging strategies, definitions, and treatment protocols between the Children's Oncology Group (COG), European paediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG), and the Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe (CWS) complicate comparisons. In this article, we aim to establish internationally recognized recommendations for lymph node assessment and treatment of children and adolescents diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma (NRSTS) according to the Consensus Conference Standard Operating Procedure methodology.

Keywords: including soft tissue; non‐rhabdoid; pediatric oncology; rhabdomyosarcoma; sarcomas.

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