Highlights From the 2025 Pediatric Oncology East and Mediterranean Biennial Conference: Advancing Pediatric Oncology Across the Eastern Mediterranean.

PURPOSE: The Pediatric Oncology East and Mediterranean (POEM) Biennial Conference serves as a regional platform to advance childhood cancer care through scientific exchange, collaborative research, capacity building, and policy engagement. The 2025 Fourth Scientific Meeting aimed to showcase regional innovations, strengthen partnerships, and align strategies with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC).

METHODS

This report summarizes the scientific, clinical, and educational content of the 4th POEM Biennial Conference, held April 30-May 3, 2025, in Amman, Jordan, under the theme Harnessing Regional Strengths to Improve Equity, Access, and Quality Care. The program included plenary lectures, symposia, oral abstracts, posters, expert sessions, and focused workshops.

RESULTS

The meeting attracted 351 delegates from 24 countries, including physicians, nurses, researchers, policymakers, and advocates. Scientific highlights featured the first regional multicenter outcomes of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in low- and middle-income settings, updated survival data in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and advances in hematopoietic cell transplantation using haploidentical and αβ T-cell-depleted grafts. Special sessions addressed CNS tumors, lymphomas, survivorship, gene therapy, and qualitative research. Advocacy panels highlighted equity and access for displaced and conflict-affected populations. Regional initiatives included strengthening the POEM Palliative Care and achieving consensus on early cancer detection strategies aligned with the WHO GICC. Pre- and post-conference workshops on artificial intelligence, sarcoma management, nursing leadership, and retinoblastoma delivered hands-on training and reinforced regional capacity building. Workshop evaluations demonstrated strong learning outcomes and a high likelihood of practice change.

CONCLUSION

The 2025 POEM Biennial Conference reaffirmed the network's role as a catalyst for advancing childhood cancer care across the Eastern Mediterranean. By integrating scientific advances with strategies for equity, access, and policy reform, POEM continues to accelerate progress toward the global target of achieving at least 60% survival for all children with cancer by 2030.