FOLLOW-UP OF TREATED OSTEOSARCOMA PATIENT

Objective: To evaluate the value of post-treatment follow-up in osteosarcoma patients. Methods: Data were collected through a clinical record, with socio-demographic and clinical data, and information relating to the medical appointment. Descriptive analysis of the data was carried out. The Chi-squared test was used to associate the independent variables with attendance at scheduled follow-up appointments. Results: We found a recurrence in 59.6% of cases, of which 58% were lung related; 44% presented clinical complaints and arrived on the scheduled date of the appointment. There was no statistically significant association between the demographic characteristics and early attendance of follow-up visits. 81.3% of the cases who came for the appointment earlier than originally scheduled presented complaints compared to those who did not (p=0.005). Of the cases who presented recurrence, 12.9% attended an appointment late and those who did not present recurrence, 47.6% were late for the appointment (p=0.006). Conclusion: It is seen that the patients who came for an earlier appointment presented more complaints and were associated with the positive result of the exams carried out. The patients who had recurrence and came for an earlier appointment did not present a statistically significant difference in recurrence-free survival. It was observed that distance was not a predominant factor in late attendance at appointments. Level of Evidence II, Retrospective Study

Follow-up of treated osteosarcoma patient

Osteossarcoma é o tumor ósseo maligno primário mais comum, com uma taxa de incidência nos adolescentes de 8 a 11 casos/milhão entre 15 e 19 anos. No Brasil, estima-se 350 casos/ano até 20 anos. A sobrevida é de até 70% em cinco anos para os não metastáticos e 80% de sobrevida global. Quando recaem, essa sobrevida atinge 20% em um ano. Pacientes com Osteossarcoma devem ser acompanhados frequentemente com estudos radiológicos para investigação de metástases, por pelo menos 5 anos após término do tratamento , sendo mais intensivo nos dois primeiros anos, onde ocorrem a maioria das recaídas. Objetivo: Avaliar o acompanhamento do pós tratamento nos pacientes portadores de osteossarcoma. Casuística e Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo realizado na Fundação Pio XII Hospital de Câncer de Barretos, com 52 pacientes tratados de Osteossarcoma pelo Departamento de Pediatria, no período de janeiro de 2000 a julho de 2006. Os dados foram coletados através de uma ficha clínica, que constava registros sócios demográficos e clínicos. Foi realizada a análise descritiva dos dados. Para a associação das variáveis independentes ao comparecimento à consulta, utilizou-se o teste qui-quadrado. Resultados: Dos 52 pacientes analisados, 61,5 % eram do sexo masculino, com mediana de idade de 15 anos e 48,1% procedentes do Estado de São Paulo. Em relação às variáveis clínicas, 59,6% recidivaram e desses recidivados, 58% foram pulmonar. Desses com recidiva pulmonar, 44,4% no momento da recaída apresentavam queixa e não adiantaram a consulta. Não houve associação estatisticamente significativa entre as características demográficas com o comparecimento adiantado à consulta, sendo que os residentes a menos de duas horas do hospital representaram 33,3% e os que residiam há mais de 21horas de viagem 30,8% (p=0,073). Nas consultas em que ocorreram atrasos, 54,5% dos pacientes estavam hospedados em alojamento (p=0, 010). Entre os pacientes, 81,3% dos que adiantaram a consulta apresentavam queixas quando comparados com os que não adiantaram (p=0,005). Dos pacientes que recidivaram, 12,9% compareceram atrasados em alguma consulta, enquanto que os não recidivados,47,6% atrasaram em alguma consulta (p=0,006).Nas consultas em que houve atrasos, 54,5% estavam hospedados em alojamento(p=0,010). Conclusão: Em nossa experiência podemos inferir que a distância não foi fator preponderante para o comparecimento atrasado às consultas e que a maioria dos pacientes que compareceram atrasados à consulta dependiam do alojamento para hospedagem. Verificou-se que os pacientes que adiantaram a consulta apresentavam mais queixas, e estas estavam associadas ao resultado positivo dos exames realizados. Além disso, nos pacientes que recidivaram, aqueles que adiantaram a consulta não apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa na sobrevida livre de recidivaOsteosarcoma, the most common malignant primary bone tumor, with incidence rates, for adolescents between 15 to 19 years old, of 8-11 cases/ million. In Brazil, it is estimated 350 cases/ year until 20 years of age. It has a survival of up to 70% in five years for the non-metastatic ones and a global survival of up to 80%. When they relapse, this survival reaches 20% in one year, and it might reach 40 % in five years. Osteosarcoma patients should be followed up, frequently, with radiologic studies to investigate metastases, for at least five years after the end of treatment, which should be more intensive in the two first years, where most of the relapses occur. Aim: To evaluate the post-treatment follow-up in osteosarcoma patients. Material and methods: A retrospective study carried out at Fundação PioXII Hospital de Câncer de Barretos evaluated 52 osteosarcoma patients who were treated by the Pediatrics Department, between January, 2000 and June, 2006. Data were collected using a clinical file which comprised socio-demographic and clinical data. Results: 52 patients were analyzed, 61,5% were male, the mean age was 15 years old, and 48,1% were from São Paulo State. In regard to the clinical variables, 59,6% of patients relapsed, and from those, 58% have lung relapses. 44,4%of the patients who had lung relapses, presented some kind of complain and did not move up their visits. There was no statistically significant difference between the demographic features and the early attendance to visits, and people who lived less than a two-hour-trip from the hospital represented 33,3% of patients whereas people who lived more than a 21-hour-trip, represented 30,8% (p=0,073). The relapse showed association with late attendance to visit, because 12,9% of relapse patients were late (p=0,006). Among the late patients, 54,5% of them were in housing(p=0,005). Conclusion: In our study, we could infer that distance was not an important factor to late attendance to visits, and most late patients depended on housing to have a place to stay. During follow-up, it was verified that early patients presented more complaints, and those were related to the positive results of the exams. Besides, in relapse patients, those who have moved up their visits, did not present statistically significant difference in the relapse-free surviva

Diffusion-weighted imaging in pediatric extracranial germ cell tumors.

BackgroundGerm cell tumors (GCTs) comprise a rare and heterogeneous group of neoplasms presenting different clinical and histological characteristics, leading to a challenging scenario in clinical practice. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been suggested as an indirect marker of tumor density and cellularity and could be used to monitor therapeutic response. However, its role in pediatric GCTs needs to be clarified.PurposeHere, we evaluated the features of DWI in pediatric extracranial GCTs in a reference Brazilian institution.Material and methodsWe included 43 pediatric patients with primary GCTs treated between 2008 and 2022 in Hospital de Amor de Barretos. The patients' MRI images included T1-weighted without contrast, T2-weighted, DWI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. DWI was evaluated in the section that exhibited the greatest restricted diffusion in the largest hypersignal area of the image. The lowest ADC value was determined to define the region of interest (ROI). We used a small ROI, avoiding necrotic, adipose tissue, noisy or nonenhancing lesion voxels as recommended. ROI determination was established by visual inspection by two radiologists in accordance. We used two values of b (b = 50 mm2/s or b = 800) for ADC values.ResultsThe highest mean ADC (mADC) value was observed in pure teratomas (1,403.50 ± 161.76 x10-3 mm2/s; mean ± SD) compared to other histologies (yolk sac, mixed teratoma, dysgerminoma and mixed GCT) of GCT (p<0.001). Furthermore, ROC analysis determined a cutoff mADC value of 1,179.00 x 10-3 mm2/s that differentiated pure teratomas from the other GCT histologies with a sensitivity of 95.8% and a specificity of 92.9% (AUC = 0.979; p<0.01). A significant increase in mADC was observed for malignant GCTs in treatment (1,197.00 ± 372.00 mm2/s; p<0.001) compared to that exhibited at the time of diagnosis (780.00 ± 168.00 mm2/s; mean ± SD. Our findings suggest that mADC assessment could be used as a tool to distinguish pure teratomas from malignant CGT histologies at diagnosis. Additionally, we demonstrated reasonable evidence that it could be used as a complementary tool to monitor treatment response in patients with malignant GCT

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with extracranial germ cell tumors – experience of two Brazilian pediatric centers

Malignant extracranial germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare in pediatric patients and are usually extremely sensitive to chemotherapy. Relapsed or refractory tumors, although rare, established the need for second-line therapies, including high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (HDCT/ASCT). However, there are few data on its use in children with GCTs. We present a retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with extracranial GCTs who received HDCT/ASCT at two Brazilian pediatric cancer centers from May 1999 to December 2019. We identified a total of 34 patients with a median age at diagnosis of 2.8 years (range, 0 to 18.8), who received HDCT/ASCT. Most patients (73%) received carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan (CEM) as a HDCT regimen. Fourteen patients received a second-line conventional dose chemotherapy (CDCT), 14 received a third-line CDCT and five received even a fourth-line CDCT prior to HDCT/ASCT. After a median follow-up of 22.7 months (range, 0.3 to 198.1), 16 patients had died after tumor relapse/progression and 2 patients died from HDCT/ASCT toxicity. We observed a 5-year OS of 47.1% and 5-year EFS of 44.1%. The 5-year OS for patients referred for HDCT/ASCT with progressive disease was 10% compared to 62.5% for those who achieved disease control before HDCT/ASCT (p = 0.001). In our experience, heavily pretreated children and adolescents with extracranial GCTs achieved considerable survival rates with HDCT/ASCT since, at least, partial control of their disease was possible before starting HDCT/ASCT. The role of HDCT/ASCT in pediatric patients with GCTs should be investigated in prospective trials.</p