[The surgical treatment of advanced stages of solid tumors in children]. / Leczenie chirurgiczne w zaawansowanych stadiach guzów litych u dzieci.

Hope for cure in children with advanced cancer came with introduction of chemo- and radiotherapy, however surgery is still important as a part of the multidirectional treatment. The aim of the review was to assess the impact of surgical treatment in children with advanced cancer. From 1991 to 1997, 30 patients aged from 6 months to 17 years were treated for soft tissue sarcomas (STS: stage III/8 pts, stage IV/2 pts), nephroblastoma (WT: stage IV/5 pts, stage V/3 pts), PNET/Ewing sarcoma (locally advanced/4 pts, metastatic/2 pts) and others (stage III/4 pts, stage IV/2 pts). All patients received pre- and postoperative chemotherapy, all but 6 were irradiated. Twenty one of 30 patients entered remission (CR) after radical surgery for local control: 12 relapsed locally, of whom 7 entered IICR after re-treatment and next surgery and 5 died. 3 of 9 patients who never had any local relapse, died of metastases. Nine of 30 patients never had any radical surgery, 8 died (including 2 toxic deaths) and 1 (stage V Wilms tumour) is in CR after chemotherapy and radiotherapy (12 Gy including both kidney with unresectable tumours). Advanced cancer does not imply the fatal outcome: 14/30 patients are in CR. Possibility of surgical resection of the disease focuses brings some hope for final cure even in initially disseminated disease: 13 such cases of 21 are in ICR or IICR (follow-up: 6 months-7 years) whereas only 1 of 9 those who have never had any radical surgery.

[Alternative methods of central venous access insertion in pediatric oncology]. / Alternatywne sposoby wprowadzania centralnego dostepu zylnego w onkologii dzieciecej.

UNLABELLED: Introduction of the central venous access (CVA) in children treated for malignancies is usually planned procedure. Some patients however require the CVA in emergency. Also in emergency, insertion of CVA should be feasible and safe. The standard technique of CVA insertion is through surgically approached internal jugular vein. This technique requires correct blood coagulation and general anaesthesia in younger patients. Alternative ways of the CVA insertion (via cephalic vein, cubital vein or external jugular vein) seem safe also in case of thrombocytopenia (< 40,000/mm3) and coagulopathy. Aim of the report is to compare efficacy (central tip of the catheter in the superior vena cava on X-ray) and safety (complication rate) of both techniques. PATIENTS: 166 children treated for malignancies aged from 0 to 16 years. The standard technique was used in 109 and in 107 was successful. The alternative technique was used in 57 and in 50 was successful. There were no acute complications, the late ones were observed in 7 of 107 in the standard technique group and in 9 of 50 in the alternative technique group. The alternative ways of the CVA introduction are effective and safe, however the longer X-ray monitoring is necessary.