Pediatric blood & cancer
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Jan 2009
Comparative StudyComparison of FDG-PET scans to conventional radiography and bone scans in management of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
We evaluated the effectiveness of FDG-PET scans in identifying sites of active disease and assessing response to therapy in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). Changes in standardized uptake value (SUV) indicated increased or decreased disease activity before changes are evident by plain films or bone scans. ⋯ Whole body FDG-PET scans can detect LCH activity and early response to therapy with greater accuracy than other imaging modalities in patients with LCH lesions in the bones and soft tissues. Whole-body FDG-PET scanning is an important and informative study at diagnosis and for following disease course in patients with LCH.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Jan 2009
Prevalence and parental perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine use by children with cancer in a multi-ethnic Southeast Asian population.
The purpose of the current study was to determine the prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by children with cancer and to compare the characteristics of CAM users and CAM nonusers. ⋯ CAM use is common among Malaysian children with cancer. Understanding the sociocultural dimension of patients' health beliefs is important to a successful treatment, and pediatric oncologists should ask for the use of CAM.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Jan 2009
Case ReportsTransdermal buprenorphine in children with cancer-related pain.
We present three cases of children (aged 3-5 years) in which cancer-related pain was adequately controlled by Transdermal Buprenorphine. The endpoints for evaluating analgesic efficacy consisted of the assessment of pain using a visual scale and the possibility of reducing other pain treatment. ⋯ Only limited data is available on the use of Transdermal Buprenorphine in children. In our experience, Transdermal Buprenorphine allowed good analgesia without significant side effects in these three children with cancer-related pain.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Jan 2009
Both location and age predict survival in ependymoma: a SEER study.
Studies have suggested that supratentorial ependymomas have better survival than infratentorial tumors, with spinal tumors having the best prognosis, but these data have been based on small samples. Using a population-based registry of ependymomas, we analyzed how age, gender, location, race and radiotherapy influence survival in children. ⋯ Age and location independently influence survival in ependymoma. Spinal tumors are associated with a significantly better prognosis than both supratentorial and infratentorial tumors, and may represent a distinct biological entity. Radiotherapy appears beneficial for survival in patients with infratentorial ependymoma.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Dec 2008
Risk prediction of fever in neutropenia in children with cancer: a step towards individually tailored supportive therapy?
Fever in severe chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (FN) is the most frequent manifestation of a potentially lethal complication of current intensive chemotherapy regimens. This study aimed at establishing models predicting the risk of FN, and of FN with bacteremia, in pediatric cancer patients. ⋯ The two models predicting FN and FN with bacteremia were based on five easily accessible clinical variables. Before clinical application, they need to be validated by prospective studies.