Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis of Body Composition in Male Childhood Brain Tumor Survivors.

. Childhood brain tumor survivors (CCSs) are at high risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) and sarcopenia. To date, a tool able to predict any body composition changes or detect them early and increased adiposity (and, therefore, increased likelihood of MetS onset) is still lacking in this population.

The Role of the Cerebellum in Advanced Cognitive Processes in Children.

Over the last several years, a growing body of evidence from anatomical, physiological, and functional neuroimaging studies has increasingly indicated that the cerebellum is actively involved in managing higher order cognitive functions and regulating emotional responses. It has become clear that when children experience congenital or acquired cerebellar lesions, these injuries can lead to a variety of cognitive and emotional disorders, manifesting in different combinations. This underscores the cerebellum's essential role not only throughout developmental stages but particularly in facilitating learning processes, highlighting its critical importance beyond its traditional association with motor control.

Psychological Experiences of Parents of Pediatric Cancer Patients during and after COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Family members dealing with the devastating impact of a cancer diagnosis are now facing even greater vulnerability due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the already overwhelming trauma, they must also bear the distressing burden of the infection risks. The purpose of this study was to examine and explore the effects in parents of pediatric cancer patients two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to compare these data with the previous data.

Anthropometric parameters as a tool for the prediction of metabolic and cardiovascular risk in childhood brain tumor survivors.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of alterations in anthropometric parameters predictive of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk among childhood brain tumor survivors.

Methods: Anthropometric parameters predictive of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk were analyzed [height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-height ratio (WHtR), waist-hip ratio (WHR, blood pressure] of 25 patients who survived childhood brain tumors.

Results: 21 patients (84%) showed alteration of at least one predictive anthropometric parameter.

Neonatal outcomes and follow-up of children born to women with pregnancy-associated cancer: a prospective observational study.

Background: During the last decade, there has been a growing number of cases of children born from pregnancy-associated cancer (PAC), however there are currently insufficient data on the follow up to be observed in this category of newborns. Objective of the study was to evaluate the neonatal outcomes of infants born to mother with PAC, the potential adverse effect of chemotherapy during pregnancy and the risk of metastasis to the fetus.

Methods: Maternal clinical data and neonatal outcomes of child born to mothers diagnosed with PAC were collected; infants were divided into those were and were not exposed to chemotherapy during fetal life and their outcomes were compered.

Aminoglycosides-Related Ototoxicity: Mechanisms, Risk Factors, and Prevention in Pediatric Patients.

Aminoglycosides are broad-spectrum antibiotics largely used in children, but they have potential toxic side effects, including ototoxicity. Ototoxicity from aminoglycosides is permanent and is a consequence of its action on the inner ear cells via multiple mechanisms. Both uncontrollable risk factors and controllable risk factors are involved in the pathogenesis of aminoglycoside-related ototoxicity and, because of the irreversibility of ototoxicity, an important undertaking for preventing ototoxicity includes antibiotic stewardship to limit the use of aminoglycosides.

Retrospective Study on Resistance Profile and Antibiotic Use in a Pediatric Population.

The growing phenomenon of antibiotic resistance and the presence of limited data concerning the pediatric area prompted us to focus on infection in this study, its antibiotic resistance profile, and the therapeutic management of affected children. We conducted a retrospective study by collecting clinical data on infants and children with antibiogram-associated infection. We enrolled 1210 patients with a mean age of 0.

Timing and chemotherapy association for 131-I-MIBG treatment in high-risk neuroblastoma.

Prognosis of high-risk neuroblastoma is dismal, despite intensive induction chemotherapy, surgery, high-dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and maintenance. Patients who do not achieve a complete metastatic response, with clearance of bone marrow and skeletal NB infiltration, after induction have a significantly lowersurvival rate. Thus, it's necessary to further intensifytreatment during this phase.

Pediatric low-grade glioma and neurofibromatosis type 1: A single-institution experience.

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-related gliomas appear to have a clinical behavior different from that of sporadic cases. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of different factors in influencing the tumor response rate of children receiving chemotherapy for their symptomatic glioma.

Methods: Between 1995 and 2015, 60 patients with low-grade glioma (42 sporadic cases and 18 cases with NF1) were treated.

Left Ventricular-Arterial Coupling and Vascular Function in Childhood Cancer Survivors Exposed to Anthracycline Chemotherapy.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are a cause of increased long-term morbidity and mortality in childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) treated with anthracyclines. These drugs may affect not only the heart, but also the vascular system. Left ventricular-arterial coupling (LVAC) represents a reliable parameter of altered ventricular and vascular performance, with validated prognostic value and never investigated in this setting.

Early and Long-Term Ototoxicity Noted in Children Due to Platinum Compounds: Prevalence and Risk Factors.

Background: Platinum compounds are a group of fundamental chemotherapeutics used in the treatment of solid tumors, but they are burdened by side effects, such as ototoxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of ototoxicity caused by platinum compounds and the risk factors affecting its appearance/progression.

Methods: Data from 53 patients who received platinum compounds and who had been off therapy for at least 5 years were analyzed.

Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor: Proposal of a Diagnostic Pathway Based on Clinical Features and Neuroimaging Findings.

Purpose: To assess the main imaging and clinical features in adult- and pediatric-onset atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) in order to build a predefined pathway useful for the diagnosis.

Methods: We enrolled 11 ATRT patients (10 children, one adult) and we conducted a literature search on PubMed Central using the key terms "adult" or "pediatric" and "atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor". We collected clinical and neuroradiological data reported in previous studies and combined them with those from our case series.

Emerging Perspectives on the Antiparasitic Mebendazole as a Repurposed Drug for the Treatment of Brain Cancers.

Repurposing approved non-antitumor drugs is a promising and affordable strategy in drug discovery to identify new therapeutic uses different from the original medical indication that may help increase the number of possible, effective anticancer drugs. The use of drugs in ways other than their original FDA-approved indications could offer novel avenues such as bypassing the chemoresistance and recurrence seen with conventional therapy and treatment; moreover, it can offer a safe and economic strategy for combination therapy. Recent works have demonstrated the anticancer properties of the FDA-approved drug Mebendazole.

1.5T MR-Guided Daily-Adaptive SBRT for Prostate Cancer: Preliminary Report of Toxicity and Quality of Life of the First 100 Patients.

The present study reports the preliminary outcomes in terms of adverse events and quality of life in the first 100 patients treated with 1.5T MR-guided daily-adaptive stereotactic body radiotherapy for prostate cancer. From October 2019 to December 2020, 100 patients, enrolled in a prospective study, received MR-guided SBRT for prostate cancer.

Induction Regimen in High-Risk Neuroblastoma: A Pilot Study of Highly Effective Continuous Exposure of Tumor Cells to Radio-Chemotherapy Sequence for 1 Month. The Critical Role of Iodine-131-Metaiodobenzylguanidine.

The prognosis of high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) continues to be poor. The early development of resistance often leads to disease recurrence. In the present study, an innovative induction regimen, including an intensive initial radio-chemotherapy sequence based on the use of iodine-131-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131-I-MIBG), was investigated.

Catheter-related complications in onco-hematologic children: A retrospective clinical study on 227 central venous access devices.

Background: The use of central venous access devices (CVADs) is of paramount importance to safely deliver antiblastic and support therapies in children with cancer. Though, in pediatric patients, as much as in adults, CVADs are potentially associated with severe complications which may result in unscheduled interruption of therapy, hospitalization, increased morbidity/mortality, and increased cost of care.

Methods: We have reviewed retrospectively our experience with CVADs in children with solid tumors and hematologic diseases, with the purpose of verifying if the adoption of well-defined insertion and maintenance bundles might be effective in reducing catheter-related complications, and in particular catheter-related thrombosis.

and MEK Targeted Therapies in Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors.

is a component of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways that play a crucial role in cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, and angiogenesis. Pediatric central nervous system tumors very often show mutations of the MAPK pathway, as demonstrated by next-generation sequencing (NGS), which now has an increasing role in cancer diagnostics. The MAPK mutated pathway in pediatric CNS tumors is the target of numerous drugs, approved or under investigation in ongoing clinical trials.

Transplacental Passage and Fetal Effects of Antineoplastic Treatment during Pregnancy.

The incidence of PAC is relatively infrequent among pregnant women. However, it has gradually increased in recent years, becoming a challenging area for clinicians that should take into account in the same way maternal benefits and fetal potential risks correlated to the antineoplastic treatment. None of the antineoplastic drugs is completely risk-free during the pregnancy, the timing of exposure and transplacental transfer properties influence the toxicity of the fetus.

Biomarkers Predictive of Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease in Childhood Cancer Survivors.

The improvement in childhood cancer treatments resulted in a marked improvement in the survival of pediatric cancer patients. However, as survival increased, it was also possible to observe the long-term side effects of cancer therapies. Among these, metabolic syndrome is one of the most frequent long-term side effects, and causes high mortality and morbidity.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for pulmonary oligometastases: a monoinstitutional analysis of clinical outcomes and potential prognostic factors.

Purpose: We report the retrospective data of a cohort of patients who received stereotactic body radiotherapy for pulmonary oligometastases, aiming to assess the clinical factors potentially affecting clinical outcomes.

Methods: The present series reports the outcomes of a cohort of 71 patients with pulmonary oligometastases with no extrapulmonary disease. All patients were treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) performed with volumetric modulated arc therapy-image guided radiotherapy (VMAT-IGRT) to up to five secondary lesions.

Infection in Children: A 5-Year Multicenter Retrospective Study.

While there are numerous studies regarding infection (CDI) in adults, literature on the pediatric population is scarce. Therefore, we performed a 5-year retrospective study between January 2014 and December 2018 in two referral centers in Rome, Italy. There were 359 patients tested for CDI who were enrolled: 87 resulted in positive and 272 in negative.

Oral Microbiota during Childhood and Its Role in Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis in Children with Cancer.

The human oral cavity harbors the second most abundant microbiota after the gastrointestinal tract, with over 700 species currently identified in the oral microflora. The oral microbiota develops from intrauterine life and after birth is continuously shaped by several influencing factors. The perturbation of the diversity and proportions of species within the oral microbiota leads to dysbiosis and associated increased risk of local and systemic diseases.