Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology
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J. Pediatr. Hematol. Oncol. · Jul 2015
Use of 18F-FDG-PET-CT for Assessment of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Children With Wilms Tumor.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (F-FDG-PET-CT) in the assessment of histologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in children with Wilms tumors (WTs). ⋯ As there seems to be a good correlation of changes in SUVmax and histologic response, PET-CT has the potential of predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in children with WT. SUV1 and SUV2 by themselves might be a good prognosticator of the clinical outcome of WT pediatric patients treated with International Society of Pediatric Oncology protocols, although the reduction rate of SUVmax is much less powerful for prognosis.
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J. Pediatr. Hematol. Oncol. · Apr 2015
Experiences of Pediatric Patients With Sickle Cell Disease in Rural Emergency Departments.
The aims of this study were to describe guardian perceptions of the experiences of a sample of youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) in rural emergency departments (EDs) with a focus on overall patient satisfaction and characteristics of care. ⋯ Families of youth with SCD are experiencing longer wait times in rural EDs which contribute to dissatisfaction with care. Efforts are needed to develop strategies to reduce ED wait times and improve speed of care which may improve outcomes following ED care.
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J. Pediatr. Hematol. Oncol. · Apr 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudySensory and Thermal Quantitative Testing in Children With Sickle Cell Disease.
Very little is known about pain processing in sickle cell disease (SCD). We examined the mechanical and thermal sensory patterns in children with SCD. Children ages 10 to 17 years (n = 48; mean 13.7 ± 2.0 y; 22 females) participated in quantitative sensory testing (QST) procedures and completed a quality of life (PedsQL) and anxiety and depression scale (RCADS). ⋯ Clinicians need to be aware that sickle cell pain may not only be inflammatory or ischemic secondary to vasoocclusion and hypoxia, but may also be neuropathic secondary to nerve injury or nerve dysfunction. Neuropathic pain in SCD may be the result of tissue damage after vaso-occlusion in neural tissues, whether peripherally or centrally. Future studies are needed to determine the presence of neuropathic pain in children with SCD.
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J. Pediatr. Hematol. Oncol. · Apr 2015
Comparative StudyA Comparison of Pain Assessment Measures in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease: Visual Analog Scale Versus Numeric Rating Scale.
Given the availability of various pain severity scales, greater understanding of the agreement between pain scales is warranted. We compared Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain severity ratings in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) to identify the relationship and agreement between pain scale ratings. Twenty-eight patients (mean ± SD age, 14.65 ± 3.12 y, 50% female) receiving pain interventions within the emergency department completed serial VAS and NRS pain severity ratings every 30 minutes. ⋯ Within pediatric patients with SCD, VAS and NRS ratings were found to trend together; however, VAS scores were found to be significantly lower than NRS scores across assessments. The agreement between the 2 measures improved at increasing levels of pain severity. These findings demonstrate that the VAS and NRS are similar, but cannot be used interchangeably when assessing self-reported pain in SCD.
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J. Pediatr. Hematol. Oncol. · Mar 2015
Central nervous system tumors in chinese children under the age of 3: a population study.
The management of central nervous system tumors in children below the age of 3 years represents a special challenge to pediatric oncologists with distinctive epidemiology, treatment considerations, and prognosis. Population-based epidemiological data on this particular patient group is lacking in Chinese. We reviewed the population-based pediatric tumor registry in Hong Kong between 1999 and 2011. ⋯ Survival did not differ with age. Comparison with statistics from other studies revealed higher rates of embryonal tumor, GCT, and craniopharyngioma in Hong Kong Chinese. Disease outcome appeared to be better in our cohort comparing to previous reports probably due to the higher proportion of GCT locally.