OTHR-06. Advancing Pediatric and Adolescent Young Adult Neuro Oncology Care Through a Collaborative Approach: Establishing the Florida Pediatric Neuro Oncology Consortium (FLPNOC)

Abstract Background Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the most common cause of pediatric cancer related deaths. In Florida, the estimated annual incidence of pediatric brain tumors is 6.5 per 100,000. Florida has numerous children’s hospitals with individual neuro-oncology programs, most of which are relatively small, and frequently staffed with one or two neuro- oncologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, and radiation oncologists. Starting October 4, 2023 we established the Florida Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (FLPNOC) as a formal collaboration. This statewide consortium is open to all pediatric neuro-oncology programs in Florida and meets virtually each month. The consortium goals are multifaceted including discussion of patient management for challenging clinical cases, communicating clinical trial opportunities across the state, developing collaborative translational/clinical research projects, educating trainees, and fostering community between the programs. Results 10 separate Florida institutions have joined the consortium and contributed to multiple meetings. Neuro-Oncologists, Pediatric Oncologists, Neuroradiologists, Neurosurgeons, Radiation Oncologists, Translational Researchers, Fellows, Residents, and Advanced Practice Providers have all contributed to meetings. Over the last 15 months since its establishment, 14 meetings have been held. Each meeting has an average attendance of 6.5 different institutions represented. As a direct result of these meetings, multiple patients’ treatment plans have been modified and multiple patients have been referred to another Florida Children’s Hospital. Conclusion Establishing a state-wide pediatric neuro-oncology consortium is feasible, valuable, and essential to improving care. This consortium has directly led to changes in patient management and has facilitated multiple patient in-state referrals to minimize travel for families. Through FLPNOC, we aim to improve the neuro-oncology care of Florida children, adolescents, and young adults with CNS tumors by sharing our individual and collective expertise, educating providers on cutting edge patient care, and developing collaborative multi-institutional clinical trials that allow for increased access to patients across Florida.