Pediatric blood & cancer
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Dec 2013
Apparent diffusion coefficient of pediatric cerebellar tumors: a biomarker of tumor grade?
The role of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) to reliably differentiate tumor types and grades in pediatric cerebellar tumors is controversial. We aimed to clarify the discrepancy reported in previous articles. ⋯ ADC analysis of the solid, contrast enhancing components of pediatric cerebellar tumors may facilitate differentiation between various tumor histologies.
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Errors and near misses are common in medicine. Checklists and similar interventions are feasible and can reduce the incidence of errors and improve patient outcomes. This study assessed the feasibility and efficacy of a checklist in a pediatric oncology clinic. ⋯ A checklist is potentially a feasible, safe, inexpensive, and simple method to lower the rate of medical errors in a pediatric oncology clinic.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Nov 2013
Pediatric oncology providers' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to early integration of pediatric palliative care.
Pediatric patients experience significant symptoms during cancer treatment. Symptom management is frequently inadequate. We studied perceptions of pediatric oncology care providers regarding early integration of palliative care (PC) for pediatric patients to identify barriers and facilitators that might assist in understanding how care could be improved. ⋯ Differing perceptions among healthcare providers regarding the care of children with cancer suggest that team functioning could be improved. Avenues for pilot testing early integration of PC could provide useful information for a next study.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Nov 2013
Parent perceptions of the quality of information received about a child's cancer.
Parents' perceptions of the quality of information communicated by their child's oncologist about the child's cancer are not well understood. ⋯ Although parents feel that they have received high quality cancer information overall, parents feel they receive lower quality information about issues relating to the child's future. Yet quality ratings are not associated with their actual knowledge. Parent perceptions of quality represent one, but not the only, facet of communication quality.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Nov 2013
Case ReportsConstitutional mismatch repair deficiency presenting in childhood as three simultaneous malignancies.
A 13-year-old child presented with three simultaneous malignancies: glioblastoma multiforme, Burkitt lymphoma, and colonic adenocarcinoma. She was treated for her diseases without success and died 8 months after presentation. Genetic analysis revealed a homozygous mutation in the PMS2 gene, consistent with constitutional mismatch repair deficiency. Her siblings and parents were screened: three of four siblings and both parents were heterozygous for this mutation; the fourth sibling did not have the mutation.