Diagnosis and treatment of pleuropulmonary blastoma-single center experience.

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare and potentially aggressive intrathoracic disembryonic neoplasm typically occurring in children less than 6 years of age. We assessed the relative incidence, clinical characteristics, treatment outcome, and the prognostic factors for long-term survival in patients with PPB treated at our institution over a 25-year period, and compared these data with reports in the literature. From 1985 to 2010, 11 children (4 males and 7 females), with a median age of 5.

Desmoid-type fibromatosis in childhood: report of 3 cases with review of the literature.

During the last 20 years we observed 3 cases with the rare condition of desmoid fibromatosis in childhood. This benign tumor with infiltrating potential has therapeutic difficulties for the achievement of a stable local tumor control (LTC). In this paper we present our experience with the therapeutic manipulations applied to our patients and go through the relevant literature on desmoids tumors.

Radiotherapy of craniopharyngioma in childhood; single institution experience.

Purpose: To present the effect of radiotherapy after subtotal excision of craniopharyngioma in childhood and the problems associated with the side-effects after radiotherapy of that rare benign tumor in children.

Patients And Methods: The study included 8 children with craniopharyngioma, treated with subtotal excision followed by radiotherapy. The median period of observation was 4 years.

Myeloablative chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in patients with poor-prognosis solid tumors - Bulgarian experience.

Purpose: To assess the outcome of patients with refractory or relapsed solid tumors treated with myeloablative chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Patients And Methods: From October 1997 to March 2006, 38 transplantations were performed in 32 patients (19 children and 13 adults, 20 men and 12 women, median age 18.5 years, range 3 - 59).

Long term survival in five rare cases with multiple primary neuroblastomas.

Purpose: Multiple primary neuroblastomas are a very uncommon disorder in infancy. The tumors may arise simultaneously in different parts of the sympathetic nervous system. The purpose of this paper was to present 5 new cases with multifocal neuroblastomas.