Genetic predisposition to pediatric myeloid malignancies

Various genetic disorders are known to be associated with cancer predisposition. For example, children with Down syndrome are predisposed to developing acute myeloid leukemia, and those with RASopathies, such as Noonan syndrome, are predisposed to juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. To date, more than 250 diseases or syndromes have been reported to be associated with the development of pediatric cancers. Recently, the advent of the massive parallel sequencing technique revealed several germline mutations, including RUNX1, CEBPA, GATA2, SRP72, ETV6, and DDX41, which are associated with familial myeloid malignancies. A significant number of children with myeloid malignancies may harbor pathognomonic germline variants. It is strongly recommended that precise diagnosis, genetic counseling, familial screening, and follow-up programs be provided for patients with such a predisposition to cancer. To identify genetic disorders associated with predispositions to pediatric myeloid malignancies, the development of an efficient screening system with the massive parallel sequencer for germline and somatic mutations, which would also be useful for familial genetic studies and prediction of tumor progression, is needed.