Molecular origins of pediatric embryonal tumors.

The different but distinctly related lines of investigation discussed during this workshop are likely to provide important insights into the molecular events that initiate and mediate the oncogenic process. Pediatric embryonal tumors were the first malignancies in which chemotherapeutic responses were recognized, and they have been singularly important clinical models for the development of many important principles of cancer treatment. Judging from the emerging insights into the pathogenesis of these tumors, it seems likely that they will also serve as important models for designing novel approaches to cancer treatment.