Developing the Scale for Quality of Life in Pediatric Oncology Patients Aged 13-18: Adolescent Form and Parent Form

Purpose: This study aimed to develop the Scale for Quality of Life in Pediatric Oncology Patients Aged 13-18: Adolescent Form and Parent Form

Bone mineral density in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic Leukemia and risk factors

WOS: 00025978560061

Central Nervous System Fungal Infections in Children With Leukemia and Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

Background: Central nervous system fungal infections (CNSFI) are seen in patients with hematologic malignancies and have high morbidity and mortality. Because of their rarity, there is limited data on CNSFI in children with no established treatment protocols or guidelines. Materials and Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study. 51 pediatric patients with leukemia. 6 of whom had undergone bone marrow transplantation, with proven or probable CNSFI were evaluated. Fungal infections were defined as proven or probable based on European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria. Proven CNSFI was diagnosed by appropriate central nervous system (CNS) imaging or tissue sample findings in combi-nation with positive microbiological results of cerebrospinal fluid. A positive culture, microscopic evidence of hyphae, a positive result of the galactomannan assays are defined as positive microbiological evidence. Probable CNSFI was defined as appropriate CNS imaging findings together with proven or probable invasive fungal infections at another focus without CNS when there is no other explanatory condition. Data was collected by using the questionnaire form (Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links lww.com/JPHO/A541). Results: Seventeen patients had proven, 34 patients had probable CNSFI. Headaches and seizures were the most common clinical findings. The median time between the onset of fever and diagnosis was 5 days. The most common fungal agent identified was Aspergillus. Sixteen patients received single-agent. 35 received combination antifungal therapy. Surgery was performed in 23 patients. Twenty-two patients (43%) died. 29 of the CNSFI episodes recovered with a 20% neurological sequelae. Conclusion: CNSFIs should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with leukemia and refractory/recurrent fever, headache, neurologicalocular symptoms, and a radiologic-serological evaluation should be performed immediately. Early diagnosis and prompt management, both medical and surgical, are essential for improving clinical outcomes

Assessment of sleep in pediatric cancer patients

The purpose of the study is to describe sleep habits, assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances in pediatric cancer patients and healthy controls, and to compare sleep patterns, sleep problems. One hundred-thirty-five patients and 190 healthy controls were evaluated. Healthy children matched for age, sex, economic status, parental education and family structure constituted the control group. Sleep was evaluated by using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Sleep problems were detected in half of patients. There were no significant differences in total sleep score and subscale scores between patients and controls. Solely the wake-time was found significantly different between patients and controls. Although our results indicated that neither childhood cancer survivors nor patients with cancer during treatment period had more sleep problems than their healthy peers, sleep problems were not uncommon in whole study group. This study underlines the need to screen, assess and manage sleep problems in children with diagnosis of cancer

Assessment of sleep in pediatric cancer patients

The purpose of the study is to describe sleep habits, assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances in pediatric cancer patients and healthy controls, and to compare sleep patterns, sleep problems. One hundred-thirty-five patients and 190 healthy controls were evaluated. Healthy children matched for age, sex, economic status, parental education and family structure constituted the control group. Sleep was evaluated by using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Sleep problems were detected in half of patients. There were no significant differences in total sleep score and subscale scores between patients and controls. Solely the wake-time was found significantly different between patients and controls. Although our results indicated that neither childhood cancer survivors nor patients with cancer during treatment period had more sleep problems than their healthy peers, sleep problems were not uncommon in whole study group. This study underlines the need to screen, assess and manage sleep problems in children with diagnosis of cancer

Documentation of our neuroblastoma cases (49 cases, retrospective study)

Objective: Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid cancer in childhood and the most common cancer in infancy. Nearly half of neuroblastoma cases occur in children younger than two years. It is a neuroendocrine tumor, arising from neural crest. It most frequently originates from one of the adrenal glands, but can also develop in neural tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis. In this study, neuroblastoma cases were reviewed and classified occording to the Shimada classification

Successful Management of L-Asparaginase-Associated Pancreatitis With Octreotide and Pegylated Asparaginase in 2 Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Is There a Different Rare Warning Sign of Hypoglycemia for L-Asparaginase-Associated Pancreatitis?

L-Asparaginase (L-Asp) is a critical component of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, toxic effects associated with L-Asp, such as hepatic dysfunction, pancreatitis, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia, have occurred. In addition, acute pancreatitis is a significant life-threatening adverse event associated with ALL. We describe 2 patients with ALL who had L-Asp-associated pancreatitis (AAP), with one patient presenting with hyperglycemia and the other presenting with hypoglycemia during induction treatment. When octreotide was administered to both of these patients, the clinical findings and laboratory data were improved. AAP was not repeated after treatment with pegylated asparaginase. Although AAP has a high risk of mortality and morbidity in childhood, APP treatment with appropriate agents, such as octreotide, can be successful. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc

Medulloblastoma: clinicopathologic evaluation of 42 pediatric cases

WOS: 000263128200014PubMed ID: 19139904The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of MIB-1 and p53 in the pediatric medulloblastoma group. Forty-two pediatric medulloblastoma cases diagnosed in a single institution during the past 10 years were evaluated. Follow-up data were available for 35 patients. The immunoreactivity of MIB-1 ranged from 10% to 95%; p53 immunoreactivity was found in five cases. Of the 35 patients with follow-up, 34 patients received a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while one received chemotherapy alone. The follow-up period ranged from 5 to 64 months. Of the 35 patients, 21 were alive without any evidence of recurrent disease, three were alive with evidence of recurrent disease and 11 died of disease during follow-up. The mean survival for these 11 patients was 21.9 +/- 10.4 months. Of the 35 cases, 16 had MIB-1 value of 25% or lower and 19 had a value of 26% or more. Of the 16 cases with low MIB-1 value, six died of disease; of the 19 cases with high MIB-1 value, five died of disease. The statistical difference between MIB-1 and prognosis was not significant. Three of the 35 (8.5%) cases were found to be positive with p53 protein; no correlation was observed between p53 immunoreactivity and prognosis. It appears that the MIB-1 value and p53 immunoreactivity have no relation with prognosis in pediatric medulloblastomas. However, it is convenient to support these findings with large series