Investigating the long-term neurodevelopmental impact of early life exposure to cancer therapy. (2021-006)

Based on our current experience in MR imaging of children who are 1) born after cancercomplicated pregnancies or 2) diagnosed with pediatric cancer, our awareness has increased 
throughout the last years for altered neurodevelopmental patterns due to early life exposure to intravenous chemotherapy. Although the literature in these populations is scarce, we recently encountered altered microstructure and cortical features after prenatal and postnatal exposure to chemotherapy, based on advanced neuroimaging. However, these findings currently rely on relatively small cohorts. Given that this is exceptional research at international scale, in this project, we aim to enlarge the existing MRI databases, to be able to compare subgroups providing the basis of individual risk classification. This will enable us to stratify these children in the future and optimize their own or mother’s treatment.