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Samsung family-funded pediatric cancer research program makes great strides in diagnosis

Published: 11 Dec. 2025, 06:00 Updated: 11 Dec. 2025, 14:51

The pediatric precision oncology symposium, hosted by the Lee Kun-hee Childhood Cancer & Rare Disease Project, takes place at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in central Seoul on Dec. 5. [SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE]

The parents of a 15-month-old girl who spent months without a diagnosis finally learned their daughter had a rare subtype of leukemia after joining a national pediatric cancer project funded by a major donation from the family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Doctors discovered a large tumor in the girl's thigh after she visited a hospital for leg pain. Several hospitals ran tests, including biopsies, but they failed to determine her exact illness. After repeated attempts, doctors could only diagnose her with a “malignant tumor,” a vague label that made proper treatment impossible.

But hope emerged when the toddler entered the Lee Kun-hee Childhood Cancer & Rare Disease Project.

Whole-genome sequencing, which decodes all of a person’s genetic information, revealed that she had an extremely rare genetic mutation linked to a subtype of leukemia. Her disease appeared as a solid tumor but was in fact a form of blood cancer.

Her case was one of several highlighted at a symposium on Dec. 5 at Seoul National University College of Medicine in central Seoul, where researchers presented progress from Korea’s pediatric precision oncology project.

After Phi Ji-hoon, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Seoul National University Hospital who leads the initiative, concluded his presentation, international researchers said they were “astonished by the progress achieved in just two years.”

Pediatric cancers differ from adult cancers because far fewer patients exist, making both research and diagnosis difficult. The diseases are so rare that many have not been studied extensively.

To overcome these limits, Korean researchers launched the pediatric precision oncology program known as “Stream” (Strategic treatment and magic for pediatric cancers).

The project began in earnest in 2023 with 300 billion won ($204 million) donated by the family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee to support childhood cancer and rare-disease research. The goal is to diagnose pediatric solid tumors precisely and deliver personalized treatments.

Professor Paul Eckert attends the pediatric precision oncology symposium, hosted by the Childhood Cancer & Rare Disease Project at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in central Seoul on Dec. 5. [NAM SOO-HYOUN]

Researchers started by gathering and analyzing genomic data scattered across multiple hospitals. Led by Seoul National University Hospital, seven major institutions — including Samsung Medical Center, Severance Hospital and Asan Medical Center — joined the effort.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, about 700 patients enrolled. Korea sees roughly 500 new pediatric solid tumor cases annually, meaning more than half of those cases now participate in the program. With five additional hospitals set to join in 2026, researchers expect participation to reach about 70 percent of new patients.

“Many advanced countries run similar programs, but none have more than half of all domestic patients enrolled,” Phi said. “Building a database of this scale is extremely difficult, and the Lee Kun-hee donation made it possible.”

New findings continue to emerge. Researchers identified a cancer-causing gene long thought not to exist in Korea in about 10 percent of enrolled patients.

“In the past, many of these patients would have gone undiagnosed,” Phi said.

International experts expressed surprise at Korea’s rapid progress.

Annie Huang, a clinician-scientist at the Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, said Korea reached a level of progress in two years that took similar programs abroad about a decade. She noted that the project already operates at a cutting-edge stage.

Annie Huang, a clinician-scientist at the Labatt Brain Tumor Research Centre at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto attends the pediatric precision oncology symposium, hosted by the Childhood Cancer & Rare Disease Project at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in central Seoul on Dec. 5. [NAM SOO-HYOUN]

Dr. Paul Eckert, who leads Australia’s Zero Childhood Cancer Program, noted on Dec. 5 that pediatric cancers are so rare that no single country can fully understand them with domestic data alone. He said he hopes to share more experience and data with Korea as the project grows.

Experts also emphasized the importance of private funding.

Huang noted that governments tend to fund research only after clear evidence emerges, which makes private support essential for scientists whose work requires time to show results.

Stream's next goal focuses on treatment.

“Our first task was to diagnose accurately, but now we need results in treatment,” Phi said. “Pediatric cancer research faces limits in clinical trials, which often prevent doctors from using available drugs. We plan to create a program that provides already validated medications to patients.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]