Lack of prognostic significance of survivin in pediatric medulloblastoma.

Medulloblastoma (MDB) is the most common malignant cerebellar tumor in children. Because of the significant rate of mortality and treatment-related morbidity, the identification of prognostic factors could lead to a more accurate selection of patients who can benefit from a less aggressive therapy and improve risk stratification. Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP), the expression of which has been associated with worse prognosis in MDB.

Treatment of children with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in developing countries: the experience of a single center in Brazil.

Purpose: To treat non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma (B-NHL) in children with manageable toxicity-related morbidity and without any decrease in survival.

Patients And Methods: Between January 1998 and April 2003, 53 consecutive patients (age 16 years or less) from a single institution were enrolled. The patients were stratified by risk factors (stage and LDH level) and treated with a BFM 86/90 (Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster)-based protocol with reduction of the methotrexate dose from 5 mg/m to 2 mg/m.