Germ cell tumors (GCT) are a complex, heterogeneous collection of tumors that may present in either gonadal or extragonadal sites. They consist of a variety of benign and malignant histologies that can occur at several locations throughout the body. An important component of treatment is surgical resection, and while the key components of resection are site specific, the universal goals of GCT resection include the complete resection of tumor without violating the tumor capsule, while preserving function of surrounding organs, minimizing morbidity, and assessing for regional spread.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Children living in poverty and those of marginalized race or ethnicity experience inferior disease outcomes across many cancers. Whether survival disparities exist in osteosarcoma is poorly defined. We investigated the association between race, ethnicity, and proxied poverty exposures and event-free and overall survival for children with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma receiving care on a cooperative group trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Early efforts at risk-adapted therapy for neuroblastoma are predicted to result in differential late effects; the magnitude of these differences has not been well described.
Methods: Late mortality, subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs), and severe/life-threatening chronic health conditions (CHCs), graded according to CTCAE v4.03, were assessed among 5-year Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) survivors of neuroblastoma diagnosed 1987-1999.
Performance of the appropriate operation is highly important to ensure that any patient with a suspected ovarian germ cell tumor receives optimal therapy that prioritizes cure while simultaneoulsy minimizing risk of short and long-term toxicities of treatment. The following critical elements of any operative procedure performed for a suspected pediatric or adolescent ovarian germ cell tumor are reviewed: 1. Complete resection of the tumor via ipsilateral oophorectomy while avoiding tumor rupture and spillage, and 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) has been identified as a poor prognostic factor for a variety of tumors; however, its significance in malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCT) in pediatric and adolescent patients is not well described. We aim to clarify the significance of LVI in the subset of patients with nongerminomatous MOGCT.
Methods: Records of patients 0-20 years of age with MOGCT enrolled on Children's Oncology Group study AGCT0132 were reviewed.
Introduction: One-third of children and young adults admitted for management of acute severe colitis (ASC) fail intravenous corticosteroids. Infliximab (IFX) or tacrolimus (TAC) is often used to prevent urgent colectomy in these patients. However, no prior studies have reviewed the outcome of pediatric patients with ASC who were treated with either IFX or TAC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pediatric interventional oncology (PIO) is a growing field intended to provide additional or alternative treatment options for pediatric patients with benign or malignant tumors. Large series of patients treated uniformly and subjected to rigorous endpoints for efficacy are not available.
Methods: We designed a collaborative initiative to capture data from pediatric patients with benign and malignant tumors who underwent a therapeutic interventional radiology procedure.
Background: Multimodal cancer therapy places childhood cancer survivors at increased risk for chronic health conditions, subsequent malignancies, and premature mortality as they age. We aimed to estimate the cumulative burden of late (>5 years from cancer diagnosis), major surgical interventions among childhood cancer survivors, compared with their siblings, and to examine associations between specific childhood cancer treatments and the burden of late surgical interventions.
Methods: We analysed data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), a retrospective cohort study with longitudinal prospective follow-up of 5-year survivors of childhood cancer (diagnosed before age 21 years) treated at 31 institutions in the USA, with a comparison group of nearest-age siblings of survivors selected by simple random sampling.
Purpose: Kidney failure is a rare but serious late effect following treatment for childhood cancer. We developed a model using demographic and treatment characteristics to predict individual risk of kidney failure among 5-year survivors of childhood cancer.
Methods: Five-year survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) without history of kidney failure (n = 25,483) were assessed for subsequent kidney failure (ie, dialysis, kidney transplantation, or kidney-related death) by age 40 years.
Purpose: To evaluate long-term morbidity and mortality among unilateral, nonsyndromic Wilms tumor (WT) survivors according to conventional treatment regimens.
Methods: Cumulative incidence of late mortality (≥ 5 years from diagnosis) and chronic health conditions (CHCs) were evaluated in WT survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Outcomes were evaluated by treatment, including nephrectomy combined with vincristine and actinomycin D (VA), VA + doxorubicin + abdominal radiotherapy (VAD + ART), VAD + ART + whole lung radiotherapy, or receipt of ≥ 4 chemotherapy agents.
Purpose: To describe the risk of late mortality, subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs), and chronic health conditions (CHCs) in survivors of neuroblastoma diagnosed in infancy by treatment era and exposures.
Methods: Among 5-year survivors of neuroblastoma in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study diagnosed age < 1 year between 1970 and 1999, we examined the cumulative incidence of late (> 5 years from diagnosis) mortality, SMN, and CHCs (grades 2-5 and 3-5). Multivariable Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs by decade and treatment (surgery-alone chemotherapy with or without surgery [C ± S] radiation with or without chemotherapy ± surgery [R ± C ± S]) among survivors and between survivors and 5,051 siblings.
Background: Although pediatric lower extremity sarcoma once was routinely treated with amputation, multiagent chemotherapy as well as the evolution of tumor resection and reconstruction techniques have enabled the wide adoption of limb salvage surgery (LSS). Even though infection and tumor recurrence are established risk factors for early amputation (< 5 years) after LSS, the frequency of and factors associated with late amputation (≥ 5 years from diagnosis) in children with sarcomas are not known. Additionally, the resulting psychosocial and physical outcomes of these patients compared with those treated with primary amputation or LSS that was not complicated by subsequent amputation are not well studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Long term central venous access is necessary for the treatment of several conditions affecting young children. Totally implantable access ports (ports) offer the advantage of containing no external components, thus simplifying their care and maintenance. However, there is no consensus on the safety of port placement in infants (birth to 1-year of age).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe integration of genomic testing into clinical care enables the use of individualized approaches to the management of rare diseases. We describe the use of belzutifan, a potent and selective small-molecule inhibitor of the protein hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF2α), in a patient with polycythemia and multiple paragangliomas (the Pacak-Zhuang syndrome). The syndrome was caused in this patient by somatic mosaicism for an activating mutation in .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalignant ovarian neoplasms are uncommon in the pediatric and adolescent population. Imaging and tumor markers help to guide the preoperative risk/benefit analysis for planned surgical management, which is the mainstay of therapy. An interdisciplinary approach should be taken in the management of this vulnerable population from diagnosis through post-treatment surveillance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 2-year-old patient with chronic abdominal pain presented with acutely worsening abdominal pain and acute anemia. The patient had no stigmata of bleeding including no hematemesis, melena or hematochezia, but had falling hemoglobin and hematocrit over the course of 24 hours. Abdominal ultrasound and computerized tomography showed a large cystic, fluid filled mass in the right midabdomen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The incidence of and risk factors for late-onset kidney failure among survivors over the very long term remains understudied.
Materials And Methods: A total of 25,530 childhood cancer survivors (median follow-up 22.3 years, interquartile range 17.
Long-term survival following hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in childhood continues to improve, and patients are thus increasingly faced with the late effects of treatment. Infertility is very common for both males and females following HSCT and is one of the most distressing sequelae. Adoption and surrogate egg or sperm donation are possibilities for some patients, but post-HSCT reversal of gonadal failure is not possible.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGerm cell tumors arise from primordial germ cells. Most develop in the gonads or along midline structures of the body. Genetic aberrations leading to disruption in the molecular signaling responsible for primordial germ cell migration early in development may provide rationale for why germ cell tumors originate in extragonadal locations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGerm cell tumors (GCTs) comprise a wide spectrum of benign and malignant tumors. Neonatal GCTs are predominantly teratomas (mature or immature), which are typically cured with surgery alone. Relapses are infrequent even in the setting of microscopic residual disease; therefore, negative surgical margins at the cost of significant morbidity are not recommended.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: We sought to estimate the prevalence, incidence, and timing of surgery for elective and non-elective hernia repairs.
Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study, abstracting data on children < 18 years from the 2005-2014 DoD Military Health System Data Repository, which includes > 3 million dependents of U.S.
Background: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare aggressive sarcoma that affects children and young adults, and portends poor outcomes despite intensive multimodal treatment approaches. We report toxicity, response, and outcomes of patients with DSRCT treated with the addition of vincristine, irinotecan, and temozolomide (VIT) to interval-compressed chemotherapy as per Children's Oncology Group ARST08P1.
Methods: All newly diagnosed pediatric patients with DSRCT treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital between 2014 and 2019 as per ARST08P1, Arm P2 with replacement of VAC cycles with VIT, were identified.