Characteristics and treatment results of refractory and relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia in paediatric patients treated in Polish Paediatric Leukaemia/Lymphoma Study Group institutions according to the Protocol Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster 2012 and a review of novel treatment possibilities in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia.

Introduction: This study aimed to present the clinical features and results of treatment of patients diagnosed with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in Polish Paediatric Leukaemia/Lymphoma Study Group (PPL/LSG) institutions, treated in accordance with the Protocol Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster 2012, as their first-line therapy.

Material And Methods: The outcome data of 10 patients with refractory AML (median age 9.5 years) and 30 with relapsed AML (median age 12 years) were analysed retrospectively.

Infectious complications in children treated for hodgkin and non-hodgkin lymphomas in polish pediatric leukemia/lymphoma study group: incidence, epidemiology and etiology.

The objective of this nation-wide study was to evaluate the epidemiology and profile of bacterial (BI), viral (VI), and invasive fungal disease (IFD) in patients treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) between the years 2013-2015. In the analyzed period of time, within the studied group of 328 children diagnosed and treated for lymphomas, at least one infectious complication (IC) was diagnosed i.e.

Correction to: Health status of Polish children and adolescents after cancer treatment.

The first and family names of the authors were interchanged. The correct author names are now correctly presented in this article.

Health status of Polish children and adolescents after cancer treatment.

Unlabelled: In the last 40 years, considerable progress was made in the treatment of childhood cancer. Nearly 80% of children achieve long-term clinical remission or are permanently cured. This improvement is however not without sacrifice.

Outcome of refractory and relapsed acute myeloid leukemia in children treated during 2005-2011 - experience of the Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (PPLLSG).

Aim Of The Study: Recent studies showed relatively better outcome for children with refractory (refAML) and relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (relAML). Treatment of these patients has not been unified within Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (PPLLSG) so far. The goal of this study is to analyze the results of this therapy performed between 2005-2011.

Development of treatment and clinical results in childhood acute myeloid leukemia in Poland.

Background: Since 1983 four consecutive unified regimens: acute myeloid leukemia-Polish pediatric leukemia/lymphoma study group (AML-PPLLSG) 83, AML-PPLLSG 94, AML-PPLLSG 98 and AML-BFM 2004 Interim, for AML have been conducted by the Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (PPLLSG). In this paper, we review four successive studies on the basis of acute myeloid leukemia-Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (AML-BFM) protocol, in which a stepwise improvement of treatment outcome was observed. Treatment results of the last protocol AML-BFM 2004 Interim are presented in detail.

Individualized tumor response testing profile has a prognostic value in childhood acute leukemias: multicenter non-interventional long-term follow-up study.

A total number of 817 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 181 with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) were assessed for individualized tumor response testing (ITRT) profile as a prognostic factor in long-term follow-up. For each patient, ITRT, initial response to therapy and long-term outcome were assessed. In initial ALL, an impact on long-term response was shown in ITRT for 13 drugs, while in initial AML only for cytarabine.

[Characteristics of extracranial malignant germ cell tumours in two age groups of children (0-10 and 10-18 years). Multicentre experiences].

Unlabelled: In order to assess if any differences exist in children germ cell tumours depending on age, we compared some features of germ cell tumours in two age groups:younger than 10 and between 11 and 18 years.

Material And Methods: Data of 146 patients with germ cell tumours treated in 15 Polish paediatric oncology departments between 1995 and 2005 were evaluated. They were divided into two groups: 76 children 0-10 years old (group I) and 70 patients 11-18 years old (group II).

[Hemophagocytic syndrome in children with different underlying conditions].

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HS) is a life-threatening condition of hyperinflammation. Main symptoms are: prolonged fever, cytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, hemophagocytosis, hyperferritinemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypofibrinogenemia. Primary genetic form and secondary HS associated with infections, malignancies or autoimmune disorders can be distinguished.

[Treatment results of children with neuroblastoma: report of Polish Pediatric Solid Tumor Group].

Approximately 60 children aged 0-18 years are diagnosed of NBL each year in Poland. About 60% of all patients suffering from NBL have a chance for durable cure. Unfortunately the prognosis for patients within the high-risk group accounting for more than 50% of all NBL patients remains poor despite the introduction of more intensive chemotherapy regimens with radical surgery procedures and megachemotherapy with subsequent stem cell transplantation.

[Can children with Hodgkin's disease be treated with chemotherapy only?].

Currently over 90% of children and adolescents with Hodgkin's disease (HD) can be cured thanks to use of multidrug chemotherapy (CT) combined with involved-field radiotherapy (IF-RT). However, the intensive treatment may increase the risk of late complications which may impair the patients' quality of life. In order to decrease the incidence of late complications the protocol with limited use of IF-RT was introduced in centers of Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (PPLLSG).

[Genotyping and minimal residual disease study in children with acute myeloid leukemia: preliminary results].

The aim of the paper is to present the initial results of molecular examination which was started in 2006 for children with acute myeloid leukemia. Better knowledge of biology of this disease, can result in establishing of new risk factors what allows more precise patient stratification to different therapeutic groups. Study was obtained patients until to 18 years of age treated according to AML-BFM 2004 INTERIM protocol in 14 centers of the Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group.

[Treatment failure in children with acute myelocytic leukemia: over 25-year experience of Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group with four consecutive unified treatment protocols for childhood acute myelocytic leukemia].

Four consecutive intensive unified regimens (BFM-AML-83, PGP-AML 94, PGP-AML 98 AML-BFM 2004 Interim) for acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) have been conducted by the Polish Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (PPLLSG) since 1983. The last one, introduced four years ago is still active, and only preliminary result may be presented. There were 726 children with AML diagnosed (226, 102, 247 and 151 in the I, II , III and IV periods, respectively), and 603 of them were eligible for evaluation (208, 83, 195 and 117, respectively).

Comparison of clofarabine activity in childhood and adult acute leukemia: individual tumor response study.

Background: Clofarabine is a second-generation nucleoside analogue. The aim of the study was the analysis of ex vivo activity of clofarabine and 14 other anticancer drugs in pediatric and adult acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and myeloid (AML) leukemia.

Patients And Methods: The ex vivo drug resistance profile was analyzed in 282 patients, including 201 children with ALL de novo, 24 children with relapsed ALL, 25 children with AML de novo and 32 adults with AML.

Prognostic impact of combined fludarabine, treosulfan and mitoxantrone resistance profile in childhood acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: The role of cellular drug resistance in childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not yet been established. The aim of the study was the analysis of the clinical value of ex vivo drug resistance in pediatric AML.

Patients And Methods: A cohort of 90 children with de novo AML were assayed for drug resistance profile by the 3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-difenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and prognostic model of in vitro drug sensitivity was analyzed.

Predictive value of multidrug resistance proteins and cellular drug resistance in childhood relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Purpose: Cellular resistance in childhood acute leukemias might be related to profile and function of multidrug resistance proteins and apoptosis regulating proteins. The aims of the study were: (1) analysis of expression of MRP1, PGP1, LRP, BCL-2 and p53 proteins; (2) correlation with ex vivo drug resistance, and (3) analysis of their prognostic impact on clinical outcome in childhood acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and acute myeloid (AML) leukemia.

Methods: Total number of 787 children diagnosed for initial ALL (n = 527), relapsed ALL (n = 104), initial AML (n = 133) and relapsed AML (n = 23) were included into the study.

CD40L and IL-4 stimulation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells results in upregulation of mRNA level of FLICE--an important component of apoptosis.

The use of cancer vaccines based on dendritic cells (DC) presenting tumor antigens can be a promising tool in the treatment of leukemia. The functional characteristics of leukemia derived DC is still to be elucidated. CD40 promotes survival, proliferation and differentiation of normal B cells.

[Genitourinary soft tissue sarcomas located outside bladder and prostate in children treated according to the CWS-96 protocol--report from the Polish Paediatric Solid Tumours Study Group].

Aim: Analysis of therapy efficacy in non-bladder/prostate genitourinary sarcomas in children treated from I'1997 to VI'2003 with CWS-96 protocol in Poland.

Material And Methods: 19 children (M/F: 15/4, age: 3m-17,5y; median 7,2y). Histopathology: RMS - 15pts (RME-13), non-RMS- 4.

Carrier frequency of mutation 657del5 in the NBS1 gene in a population of Polish pediatric patients with sporadic lymphoid malignancies.

Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a human autosomal recessive disease characterized by genomic instability and enhanced cancer predisposition, in particular to lymphoma and leukemia. Recently, significantly higher frequencies of heterozygous carriers of the Slavic founder NBS1 mutation, 657del5, were found in Russian children with sporadic lymphoid malignancies, and in Polish adults with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In addition, the substitution 643C>T (R215W) has also been found in excess among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

[Progress in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in children. The report of Polish Pediatric Leukaemia/lymphoma Study Group (PPLLSG)].

Treatment results of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in children has been shown in this study. From 1979 to 2003 children were registered with the diagnosis of NHL in oncology centers of Polish Pediatric Leukaemia/Lymphoma Study Group, a group of 397 patients with NHL B, 222 pts with NHL T and 54 pts with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). The pts with NHL T have been treated according to BFM-90 protocol.

Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy in the prone position in children (point of technique).

We describe our initial experience with retroperitoneoscopic procedures in children in the prone position. Twelve children (five girls and seven boys; mean age 3.5 years) underwent nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy or heminephroureterectomy for obstruction or reflux within the non-functioning kidney, multicystic dysplastic kidney or upper pole dysplastic moiety.