Pediatric Cancer Immunology examines how the developing immune system interacts with childhood cancers and how immunotherapies reshape treatment outcomes. As immuno-oncology rapidly advances, clinicians and researchers increasingly rely on insights shared at a specialised Pediatrics Conference to stay informed about emerging therapies, biomarkers, and translational breakthroughs. This session focuses on the immunologic underpinnings of pediatric cancers, differences between pediatric and adult tumour biology, and the expanding range of immune-based treatments.

Participants will explore how innate and adaptive immune responses influence tumour development, progression, and treatment sensitivity. The session highlights the design of integrated pediatric cancer immunology pathways that guide evaluation, risk stratification, therapy selection, and supportive care. Case examples demonstrate how immunotherapies such as CAR-T cells, immune-checkpoint inhibitors, tumour vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies are applied in conditions like leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumours, and solid malignancies.

Attendees will analyse key challenges unique to pediatrics: immune-system immaturity, toxicity patterns, cytokine-release syndromes, long-term survivorship issues, and the impact of cancer therapy on immunity during critical developmental stages. Discussions will address how to optimise monitoring for immune-related adverse events, manage infections in immunocompromised patients, and support families navigating complex treatment decisions.

The session also examines biomarker discovery, precision immunotherapy, tumour microenvironment analysis, and genetic profiling approaches that improve treatment matching. Participants will explore how computational tools and multi-omic technologies advance research into relapse prediction, treatment resistance, and minimal residual disease detection.

Global perspectives highlight disparities in availability of immunotherapies, infrastructure challenges in delivering cellular therapies, and the need to expand access to clinical trials for children across diverse regions. Ethical considerations include consent for innovative therapies, equitable access, long-term follow-up, and balancing therapeutic intensity with quality of life.

By integrating immunology, oncology, genomics, and supportive care, this session equips clinicians to deliver safer, more precise, and more effective cancer-immunology treatment for children.