Widely Metastatic Choroid Plexus Carcinoma Associated with Novel TP53 Somatic Mutation.

Background: Choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) is a rare, malignant tumor occurring more commonly in children than adults. This case report describes the clinical course of a 3-year-old boy with a rare case of metastatic CPC with a novel TP53 mutation.

Case Description: A 3-year-old boy presented with postconcussive symptoms after a fall.

Pilot Evaluation of a Palliative and End-of-Life Communication Intervention for Parents of Children With a Brain Tumor.

Providing timely palliative and end-of-life care (PC/EOL) information to parents of children with a serious illness is a national health care priority. The goals of this study were to determine feasibility, acceptability, and parent responses related to a PC/EOL communication intervention, titled "Communication Plan: Early through End of Life (COMPLETE)" to parents of children with a brain tumor. The study was a 2-site prospective, single-group pilot study targeting parents' stress and coping outcomes.

Resolution of precocious puberty following resection of fourth ventricular medulloblastoma: case report.

Medulloblastoma is a malignant embryonal tumor that arises in the cerebellum and invades the fourth ventricle, often resulting in obstructive hydrocephalus. Patients typically present with symptoms related to increased intracranial pressure and cerebellar dysfunction. The authors report a rare case of classic medulloblastoma with central precocious puberty (CPP) as its only presenting symptom.

Evaluation of Physician and Nurse Dyad Training Procedures to Deliver a Palliative and End-of-Life Communication Intervention to Parents of Children with a Brain Tumor.

When a child's prognosis is poor, physicians and nurses (MDs/RNs) often struggle with initiating discussions about palliative and end-of-life care (PC/EOL) early in the course of illness trajectory. We describe evaluation of training procedures used to prepare MD/RN dyads to deliver an intervention entitled: Communication Plan: Early Through End of Life (COMPLETE) intervention. Our training was delivered to 5 pediatric neuro-oncologists and 8 pediatric nurses by a team of expert consultants (i.

Outcomes of pediatric low-grade gliomas treated with radiation therapy: a single-institution study.

Radiation therapy is often considered the treatment of choice for low-grade gliomas. However, given the long-term effects of radiation on the developing brain, the appropriate use of radiation therapy in pediatric patients remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) of pediatric low-grade glioma patients treated with radiation therapy.

Rapidly progressive primary leptomeningeal atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor: a report of 2 cases.

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor is a rare, highly malignant central nervous system tumor most commonly occurring in very young children. Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor most often presents as an expanding mass with symptoms consistent with the location of the tumor and may present with metastatic leptomeningeal disease. The authors describe 2 cases of rapidly progressive, diffuse leptomeningeal atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor without a solid primary mass.

MRI detection of early bone metastases in b16 mouse melanoma models.

Bone metastasis causes significant morbidity in cancer patients, including bone pain, pathologic fractures, nerve compression syndrome, and hypercalcemia. Animal models are utilized to study the pathogenesis of skeletal metastases and to evaluate potential therapeutic agents. Previously published methods for imaging bone metastasis in rodent models have focused on identifying advanced stage metastasis using simple X-rays.