The natural history of colorectal carcinoma in adolescents.

The symptoms, histology, extent, and course of disease of 24 adolescents with colorectal carcinoma who were admitted to St. Jude Children's Hospital between 1964 and 1980 are presented. Twenty of the patients were referred between October 1974 and June 1980.

Malignant germ cell tumors in 57 children and adolescents.

Fifty-seven patients with malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs) treated at our center between 1962 and 1979 were evaluated to determine 1) the prognostic value of disease stage, tumor histology, primary site, and patient age; 2) results of therapy; and 3) patterns of metastasis. The 35 girls and 22 boys were from 1 week to 18 years old (median 5 yr). Primary sites were ovarian (20), testicular (10), sacrococcygeal (12), retroperitoneal (7), mediastinal (5), and other (3).

Breast metastases in children with rhabdomyosarcoma.

Of 108 consecutively diagnosed patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, seven subsequently developed clinically evident metastatic tumors of the breast. These patients were unusual in that all had primary tumors located on an extremity or the buttock, and six of the seven tumors had alveolar histology. Sex distribution and age of the patients indicated that the physiologic state of the breast was an important determining factor in the development of such metastases.

Malignant "histiocytic" lymphoma in childhood.

Forty-one cases of childhood "histiocytic" lymphoma were studied morphologically and immunologically to determine whether this tumor type is composed of true histiocytic cells. Lysozyme and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin were used as markers for histiocytes, and cytoplasmic immunoglobulins were used as markers for B cells. Both indirect immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase methods were used for functional characterization of tumor cells.

Osteosarcoma, fibrous dysplasia, and a chromosomal abnormality in a 3-year-old child.

Osteosarcoma is a type of malignant bone tumor that is rare among children less than five years old. This report describes a 3-year-old boy with osteosarcoma of the right proximal femur and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia of the right femur and tibia. After hemipelvectomy, histologic examination of the amputated limb disclosed that the osteosarcoma had developed in a focus of fibrous dysplasia.