Detection of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in pleural fluid with immunocytochemistry on cell block and determination of PAX/FKHR fusion mRNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Background: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a primitive malignant round cell neoplasm, which shows skeletal muscle differentiation. Although their histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings are well known, the cytology, immunocytochemistry and molecular study on pleural effusion have not been well documented.

Objective: To apply molecular method in the diagnosis and monitoring of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rationale for an international consortium to study inherited genetic susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the major pediatric cancer in developed countries. To date most association studies of acute lymphoblastic leukemia have been based on the candidate gene approach and have evaluated a restricted number of polymorphisms. Such studies have served to highlight difficulties in conducting statistically and methodologically rigorous investigations into acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk.

Variation at 7p12.2 and 10q21.2 influences childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk in the Thai population and may contribute to racial differences in leukemia incidence.

Recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have identified 7p12.2, 9p21.3, 10q21.

Effect of genetic alterations of cytarabine- metabolizing enzymes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) and cytidine deaminase (CDA) are known to alter their enzymatic activities, which affect the metabolism of cytarabine. Currently, treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) includes cytarabine, especially in high-risk patients. Therefore, we hypothesized that a genetic variation of dCK and CDA genes may influence the risk of cytarabine-related toxicities and early response to treatment.