DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noag187 ISSN: 1522-8517
How ‘Sturgeon’ guides the surgeon in pediatric neuro-oncology
Mariska Sie, Oscar H J Eelkman Rooda, Mariëtte E G Kranendonk, Pieter Wesseling, Marc Pagès-Gallego, Lennart Kester, Marc van Tuil, Eric Strengman, Janneke Slijkoort-Blom, Eugène T P Verwiel, Arie Maat, Jasper van der Lugt, Jeroen de Ridder, Bastiaan B J Tops, Carlo Vermeulen, Eelco W HovingLay Summary
Brain and spinal cord tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. For most patients, surgical tumor removal is the first step in treatment. During surgery, doctors must quickly determine the tumor type to choose the safest and most effective amount of tumor to remove. We evaluated Sturgeon, a new sequencing-based diagnostic tool providing the tumor type during surgery. In most cases, Sturgeon supported the planned surgical approach, while in others it led to a meaningful strategy change. Its use was associated with fewer repeat-surgeries and earlier communication of results to families, potentially improving patient care and outcomes.