Humoral immune response of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors against the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination.

Background: There is a great risk of infection with viral-vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) infections after the end of chemotherapy treatment of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which could have been prevented with MMR vaccination. Previous studies reported widely variable rates of seropositivity (seroprotection) for MMR after ALL treatment ends. Also, few studies evaluated the response to MMR booster vaccinations after the end of ALL treatment and reported unclear and difficult to interpret results.

Hypovitamininosis D in Childhood Cancer Survivors: Importance of Vitamin D Supplementation and Measurement Over Different Points of Time.

This observational retrospective cross-sectional and case-controlled study measures levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OH-VD) in pediatric cancer survivors at different intervals and assesses the effect of 2 supplementation regimens over a period of 12 months. Sixty-eight patients were included in this quasi-experimental study, of which 32 were boys and 36 were girls. A control group of 30 healthy children were included.

Assessment of hepatitis B virus antibody titers in childhood cancer survivors.

Unlabelled: Pediatric patients suffering from cancer are at risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its related complications even though it is considered a vaccine preventable disease. Little is known of the effects of chemotherapy, and even less is known regarding the impact of HBV booster on HBV antibody titers. It is the purpose of this study to investigate and measure the prevalence of the antihepatitis B surface antibodies (HBsAb) in childhood cancer survivors after completion of their chemotherapy treatment and to further evaluate survivors' response to a single booster dose of HBV vaccine.

Immunization status in childhood cancer survivors: A hidden risk which could be prevented.

Background: A limited number of studies have examined the vaccine-specific antibody status of children with cancer. There are disagreements over the guidelines for postcancer immunization strategy.

Methods: Our study was an observational, cross-sectional retrospective review of data collected on children who were seen in the outpatient clinic at King Abdullah Medical City, Oncology Center, Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Outcome of children older than one year with neuroblastoma.

Objective: To assess the outcome of children older than one year with neuroblastoma treated at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the files of 52 children older than one year with neuroblastoma (NBL) treated at our center between September 1987 and May 2003. Treatment consisted of OPEC chemotherapy regimen (vincristine, cisplatin, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide) or alternating OPEC/OJEC (carboplatin in place of cisplatin), surgical resection +/- radiotherapy (RT).

Stage 4S neuroblastoma, a disseminated tumor with excellent outcome.

Objective: To review the clinical features and outcome of all cases of stage 4S neuroblastoma treated at our center.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the files of all patients (n=75) with neuroblastoma treated at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 1986 and 2005. We studied the clinical features and outcome of patients with stage 4S neuroblastoma.