MONALISA is an international project focused on improving care for children who have been treated for a type of cancer called neuroblastoma. After treatment, more than half of the children with high-risk neuroblastoma may experience a return of the disease (relapse). Thus, neuroblastoma patients that have undergone treatment need to be monitored so that the relapses can be detected as soon as possible. MONALISA aims to detect these relapses earlier than current methods, which could help doctors act sooner and improve the chances of survival.
Currently, doctors usually monitor children with neuroblastoma using scans and bone marrow tests. These methods can be expensive, uncomfortable, and stressful - not just for the child, but also for their families. They often require hospital visits, sedation, or even anaesthesia, which can be tough on young patients and cause side effects. A new type of blood test, called a liquid biopsy, offers a gentler, less invasive, alternative. These are simple blood tests that can pick up tiny traces of cancer-related genetic material (DNA or RNA) in the blood. They are much less invasive, do not require anaesthesia, and can be done more often, making it easier to catch signs of the cancer returning early.
Our research team has already found that these blood tests can often detect a relapse before symptoms appear or before it shows up on a scan. If we can bring this into everyday medical care, it could really change how we look after children with cancer, making the process less painful and more effective. To test this approach, MONALISA will run a clinical study to include 150 patients across 11 countries, comparing the new method with the current standard. If successful, it could lead to earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for children around the world.
MONALISA is the first clinical trial of its kind to test whether liquid biopsies can be used to monitor childhood cancer more effectively. The goal is to make this approach part of everyday care for neuroblastoma and eventually use it as a model for other childhood cancers too. The project also uses digital tools to help doctors make better decisions, and assesses psychological stress of patients and families. By doing this, MONALISA hopes to improve the quality of life for young patients.
