Impact of obesity on outcome in children diagnosed with cancer in Canada: A report from Cancer in Young People in Canada.

Background: Childhood obesity can result in adverse health outcomes. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of obesity and determine the association between obesity at cancer diagnosis and event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in children diagnosed with cancer in Canada.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Cancer in Young People in Canada database, including all children with newly diagnosed cancer aged 2-18 years across Canada from 2001 to 2020.

A sustainable approach toward mechanical recycling unsortable post-consumer WEEE: Reactive and non-reactive compatibilization.

While near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in post-consumer waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling accurately separates white or clear polymers, 40% containing dark plastics, termed 'unsortable WEEE,' are excluded from sorting lines and therefore incinerated or landfilled, causing environmental concerns. This study investigates the potential of using non-reactive and reactive copolymers as compatibilizers to enhance the performance of unsortable WEEE plastics free of brominated flame retardants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such copolymers have been explored as a solution for improving the compatibility of unsortable WEEE polymer blends.

Access to innovative therapies in pediatric oncology: Report of the nationwide experience in Canada.

Background: The need for new therapies to improve survival and outcomes in pediatric oncology along with the lack of approval and accessible clinical trials has led to "out-of-trial" use of innovative therapies. We conducted a retrospective analysis of requests for innovative anticancer therapy in Canadian pediatric oncology tertiary centers for patients less than 30 years old between 2013 and 2020.

Methods: Innovative therapies were defined as cancer-directed drugs used (a) off-label, (b) unlicensed drugs being used outside the context of a clinical trial, or (c) approved drugs with limited evidence in pediatrics.

Performance of the eHealth decision support tool, MIPOGG, for recognising children with Li-Fraumeni, DICER1, Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency and Gorlin syndromes.

Background: Cancer predisposition syndromes (CPSs) are responsible for at least 10% of cancer diagnoses in children and adolescents, most of which are not clinically recognised prior to cancer diagnosis. A variety of clinical screening guidelines are used in healthcare settings to help clinicians detect patients who have a higher likelihood of having a CPS. The McGill Interactive Pediatric OncoGenetic Guidelines (MIPOGG) is an electronic health decision support tool that uses algorithms to help clinicians determine if a child/adolescent diagnosed with cancer should be referred to genetics for a CPS evaluation.

COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease in the Province of Quebec, Canada: Outcomes after Two Years of the Pandemic.

Background: Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are considered at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection. However, morbidity and mortality rates are variable among countries. To date, there are no published reports that document outcomes of SCD patients with COVID-19 in Canada.

Poor outcome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of patients with unclassified inherited bone marrow failure syndromes.

Classification of inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) according to clinical and genetic diagnoses enables proper adjustment of treatment. Unfortunately, 30% of patients enrolled in the Canadian Inherited Marrow Failure Registry (CIMFR) with features suggesting hereditability could not be classified with a specific syndromic diagnosis. We analyzed the outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in unclassified IBMFSs (uIBMFSs) and the factors associated with outcome.

Canadian Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Standards of Practice.

Primary CNS tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death in pediatrics. It is essential to understand treatment trends to interpret national survival data. In Canada, children with CNS tumors are treated at one of 16 tertiary care centers.

Androgen therapy in inherited bone marrow failure syndromes: analysis from the Canadian Inherited Marrow Failure Registry.

Progressive cytopenia is a serious complication among paediatric patients with inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS). Androgens have been used to improve blood counts in different bone marrow failure conditions. Little is known about efficacy and toxicity with new androgens (i.

Reanalysing genomic data by normalized coverage values uncovers CNVs in bone marrow failure gene panels.

Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) are genetically heterogeneous disorders with cytopenia. Many IBMFSs also feature physical malformations and an increased risk of cancer. Point mutations can be identified in about half of patients.

Molecular Profiling of Hard-to-Treat Childhood and Adolescent Cancers.

Importance: Little progress in pediatric cancer treatment has been noted in the past decade, urging the development of novel therapeutic strategies for adolescents and children with hard-to-treat cancers. Use of comprehensive molecular profiling in the clinical management of children and adolescents with cancer appears a suitable approach to improve patient care and outcomes, particularly for hard-to-treat cases.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of identifying potentially actionable mutations using next-generation sequencing-based assays in a clinically relevant time frame.

Molecular analysis and genotype-phenotype correlation of Diamond-Blackfan anemia.

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) features hypoplastic anemia and congenital malformations, largely caused by mutations in various ribosomal proteins. The aim of this study was to characterize the spectrum of genetic lesions causing DBA and identify genotypes that correlate with phenotypes of clinical significance. Seventy-four patients with DBA from across Canada were included.

The clinical impact of copy number variants in inherited bone marrow failure syndromes.

Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) comprise a genetically heterogeneous group of diseases with hematopoietic failure and a wide array of physical malformations. Copy number variants (CNVs) were reported in some IBMFSs. It is unclear what impact CNVs play in patients evaluated for a suspected diagnosis of IBMFS.

Embryonal tumors in Canadian children less than 36 months of age: results from the Canadian Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (CPBTC).

Embryonal tumors are a heterogeneous group of central nervous system (CNS) tumors whose subgroups have varying incidence and outcome. Despite these differences, they are often grouped as a single entity for study purposes. To date, there are no Canadian multi-institutional studies examining the incidence and outcome of all embryonal subtypes.

Invasive Rothia infections in children with acute myeloid leukemia: A report from the Canadian infections in AML research group.

Rothia spp. (previously termed Stomatococcus) are normal flora that can cause invasive infections in immunocompromised hosts. The objective of this study was to describe infection characteristics and outcomes of Rothia spp.

Whole Abdominal-Pelvic Radiotherapy in the Management of Primary Ewing Sarcoma of the Peritoneal Cavity.

Ewing sarcoma of the abdomen is a rare entity in pediatric oncology and represents a technical challenge both for surgeons and radiation oncologists. We document the case of a young female patient with primary disseminated, intraperitoneal Ewing sarcoma who after an excellent response to chemotherapy received preoperative whole abdominal-pelvic radiotherapy with good tolerance.

Silicon micromachined ultrasonic scalpel for the dissection and coagulation of tissue.

This work presents a planar, longitudinal mode ultrasonic scalpel microfabricated from monocrystalline silicon wafers. Silicon was selected as the material for the ultrasonic horn due to its high speed of sound and thermal conductivity as well as its low density compared to commonly used titanium based alloys. Combined with a relatively high Young's modulus, a lighter, more efficient design for the ultrasonic scalpel can be implemented which, due to silicon batch manufacturing, can be fabricated at a lower cost.

Improving diagnostic precision, care and syndrome definitions using comprehensive next-generation sequencing for the inherited bone marrow failure syndromes.

Background: Phenotypic overlap among the inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) frequently limits the ability to establish a diagnosis based solely on clinical features. >70 IBMFS genes have been identified, which often renders genetic testing prolonged and costly. Since correct diagnosis, treatment and cancer surveillance often depend on identifying the mutated gene, strategies that enable timely genotyping are essential.

Survival of children with medulloblastoma in Canada diagnosed between 1990 and 2009 inclusive.

The treatment of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, has evolved over the last few decades. The objectives of this paper were to determine the survival of pediatric medulloblastoma in Canada, to determine if there has been an improvement in the survival rates between the years of 1990 and 2009, inclusive, and to determine prognostic factors for survival. All patients under the age of 18 years diagnosed with medulloblastoma from 1990 to 2009, inclusive, in Canada were included.

The impact of category, cytopathology and cytogenetics on development and progression of clonal and malignant myeloid transformation in inherited bone marrow failure syndromes.

Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes are a group of rare, heterogeneous genetic disorders with a risk of clonal and malignant myeloid transformation including clonal marrow cytogenetic abnormalities, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia. The clinical characteristics, risk classification, prognostic factors and outcome of clonal and malignant myeloid transformation associated with inherited bone marrow failure syndromes are largely unknown. The aims of this study were to determine the impact of category, cytopathology and cytogenetics, the three components of the "Category Cytology Cytogenetics" classification of pediatric myelodysplastic syndrome, on the outcome of clonal and malignant myeloid transformation associated with inherited bone marrow failure.

Second Bacteremia During Antibiotic Treatment in Children With Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Report From the Canadian Infections in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research Group.

Background: The risk of second bacteremia during antibiotic treatment for initial bacteremia is unknown in high-risk populations. Our objectives were to describe the prevalence of second bacteremia during treatment and identify risk factors in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, population-based cohort study that included children and adolescents with de novo, non-M3 AML who were diagnosed and treated between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2004 at 15 Canadian centers.

Incidence of medulloblastoma in Canadian children.

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. There was a perception of pediatric neuro-oncologists that the incidence had declined in Canada. An epidemiological survey was undertaken to determine the incidence of this tumor in Canada and if a change had indeed occurred.