Survival of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma patients treated with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide (ABVE-PC) versus doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) at a single institution.

BACKGROUND: Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (ABVD), the de facto standard of care in adult-onset Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), has not been directly compared to doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide (ABVE-PC), a pediatric-aimed regimen designed to reduce late effects. We aimed to describe the single-institution experience of using both regimens in patients with pediatric HL. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study evaluated a total of 224 patients diagnosed with HL between 1999 and 2018 at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), of which 93 patients were eligible having received ABVD (n = 46) or ABVE-PC (n = 47) chemotherapy as their initial treatment. Descriptive analyses were performed using the Student's t-test or Fisher's exact test. Survival analysis used the Kaplan-Meier method. Events included death, relapse, and secondary malignancy. We also describe the use of radiation therapy, pulmonary toxicity, and cardiomyopathy determined by shortening fraction <29%. Analyses followed an intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: There was no difference in baseline characteristics between the patients receiving ABVE-PC or ABVD in regard for stage, risk group, or prognostic variables, such as the presence or absence of "B" symptoms, bulky disease, and extra-nodal involvement. A greater proportion of patients treated with ABVE-PC received consolidating external beam radiation treatment (XRT) either by randomization or by response compared to ABVD (59.6% vs. 32.6%, respectively, p = .01). While not statistically significant, response to therapy, assessed by positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) where available, mirrored the use for radiation (rapid response 58.3% vs. 90.0%, n = 34, p = .11). The median dose of anthracycline (doxorubicin) was the same in patients receiving ABVE-PC versus ABVD (200 vs. 200 mg/m2 , interquartile range 200-250 vs. 200-300 mg/m2 , p = .002). There was no difference in event-free survival (p = .63) or overall survival (p = .37) with a median follow-up length of 3.9 years. CONCLUSIONS: ABVD and ABVE-PC achieved similar survival outcomes in our single-institution cohort.

Pediatric ovarian angiosarcoma treated with systemic chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy: Case report and review of therapy.

Ovarian angiosarcoma is a rare and aggressive vascular tumor, which has a 5-year overall survival of less than 30% for patients with nonmetastatic disease and almost certain death within 1 year for those with metastasis. Here, we briefly review historical approaches to therapy and present a long-term survivor in the case of an 11-year-old female with metastatic ovarian angiosarcoma. This is the second reported case to utilize heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of this disease. Our patient is currently alive and well 3 years after initial diagnosis, significantly longer than any reported case of advanced-stage ovarian angiosarcoma.

Alpha Particle Radium 223 Dichloride in High-risk Osteosarcoma: A Phase I Dose Escalation Trial.

PURPOSE: The prognosis of metastatic osteosarcoma continues to be poor. We hypothesized that alpha-emitting, bone-targeting radium 223 dichloride (223RaCl2) can be safely administered to patients with osteosarcoma and that early signals of response or resistance can be assessed by quantitative and qualitative correlative imaging studies and biomarkers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 3+3 phase I, dose-escalation trial of 223RaCl2 (50, 75, and 100 kBq/kg) was designed in patients with recurrent/metastatic osteosarcoma aged ≥15 years. Objective measurements included changes in standardized uptake values of positron emission tomography (PET; 18FDG and/or NaF-18) and single-photon emission CT/CT (99mTc-MDP) as well as alkaline phosphatase and bone turnover markers at baseline, midstudy, and the end of the study. RESULTS: Among 18 patients enrolled (including 15 males) aged 15-71 years, tumor locations included spine (n = 12, 67%), pelvis (n = 10, 56%), ribs (n = 9, 50%), extremity (n = 7, 39%), and skull (n = 2, 11%). Patients received 1-6 cycles of 223RaCl2; cumulative doses were 6.84-57.81 MBq. NaF PET revealed more sites of metastases than did FDG PET. One patient showed a metabolic response on FDG PET and NaF PET. Four patients had mixed responses, and one patient had a response in a brain metastasis. Bronchopulmonary hemorrhage from Grade 3 thrombocytopenia (N = 1) was a DLT. The median overall survival time was 25 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The first evaluation of the safety and efficacy of an alpha particle in high-risk osteosarcoma shows that the recommended phase II dose for 223RaCl2 in osteosarcoma is 100 kBq/kg monthly (twice the dose approved for prostate cancer), with minimal hematologic toxicity, setting the stage for combination therapies.

The impact of racial/ethnic disparities on survival for children and young adults with chest wall sarcoma: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in disease presentation, treatment and survival outcomes among children and young adults with chest wall sarcomas. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was analyzed for patients 21 years old and younger with chest wall sarcoma. We performed multivariate logistic regression to investigate the association of race/ethnicity with advanced stage of disease at presentation and likelihood of undergoing surgical resection. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated using Cox regression modeling to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: A total of 669 patients were identified: 393 non-Hispanic whites (NHW) (59%), 151 Hispanics (23%), 64 non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) (11%), and 64 other race/ethnicity (9%). The 5- and 10-year OS rates for the entire cohort were 69% and 64%, respectively. NHB had significantly worse 5-year and 10-year OS compared to NHW based on the log rank test (61% versus 70%, 52% versus 66%, respectively; p = 0.037).). Most patients (80%) underwent surgical resection. However, NHB were less likely than NHW to undergo surgical resection by multivariate analysis (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.22-0.82). CONCLUSIONS: NHB children and young adults with chest wall sarcoma have decreased overall survival. In addition, NHB are less likely to undergo surgical resection which may contribute to survival disparities. It is paramount that health care providers work to close the treatment gap between racial/ethnic groups to improve survival in children and young adults with chest wall sarcoma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III Treatment Study.

Retroperitoneal lymph node staging in paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma-are we meeting expectations?

BACKGROUND: Staging retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is recommended for all patients aged ≥10 y. The purpose of this study was to evaluate adherence with surgical resection guidelines for RPLND in patients with paratesticular RMS as a measure for surgical quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with paratesticular RMS were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 1973 to 2012. Patients were divided into two eras to reflect before (1973-2002) and after (2003-2012) the release and dissemination of the 2001 surgical guidelines for staging ipsilateral RPLND in all patients aged ≥10 y with paratesticular RMS. Survival outcomes associated with lymph node dissection were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-five patients with paratesticular RMS were identified and included in the study, among whom 111 were adolescents aged 10-20. RPLND did not significantly increase after 2003 among adolescents (45%-61%, P = 0.09). The benefit of RPLND on improved 5-y overall survival was evident among adolescents (92% versus 64%, P = 0.003). Adjusting for histology, age, stage at diagnosis, and race/ethnicity, RPLND was associated with improved overall survival among patients aged ≥10 y (hazard ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: Despite surgical guidelines recommending RPLND in pediatric patients aged ≥10 y, nearly one-third of adolescent patients did not undergo RPLND. These findings are disturbing considering the survival benefit associated with RPLND among adolescent patients and indicate an opportunity for improvement in surgical quality.

Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor Treated with Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Results of a Phase 2 Trial.

BACKGROUND: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare sarcoma that primarily affects adolescents and young adults. Patients can present with many peritoneal implants. We conducted a phase 2 clinical trial utilizing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) with cisplatin for DSRCT and pediatric-type abdominal sarcomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed on 20 patients, who underwent CRS-HIPEC procedures, with cisplatin from 2012 to 2013. All patients were enrolled in the phase 2 clinical trial. Patients with extraabdominal disease and in whom complete cytoreduction (CCR0-1) could not be achieved were excluded. All outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Fourteen patients had DSRCT, while five patients had other sarcomas. One patient had repeat HIPEC. Patients with DSRCT had significantly longer median overall survival after surgery than patients with other tumors (44.3 vs. 12.5 months, p = 0.0013). The 3-year overall survival from time of diagnosis for DSRCT patients was 79 %. Estimated median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 14.0 months. However, RFS for patients with DSRCT was significantly longer than for non-DSRCT patients (14.9 vs. 4.5 months, p = 0.0012). Among DSRCT patients, those without hepatic or portal metastases had longer median RFS than those with tumors at these sites (37.9 vs. 14.3 months, p = 0.02). In 100 % of patients without hepatic or portal metastasis, there was no peritoneal disease recurrence after CRS-HIPEC. CONCLUSIONS: Complete CRS-HIPEC with cisplatin is effective in select DSRCT patients. DSRCT patients with hepatic or portal metastasis have poorer outcomes.

Regional Nodal Control for Head and Neck Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma.

PURPOSE: To assess clinical outcomes and patterns of failure, particularly regional nodal control, for pediatric patients treated with proton beam therapy (PBT) for head and neck alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (HN-ARMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2006 and 2015, 14 patients with HN-ARMS were enrolled in a prospective registry protocol and treated with PBT at a single institution. Of the patients, 8 (57%) presented with localized disease and 6 (43%) with regional nodal metastases. All patients were treated with systemic therapy per accepted cooperative group regimens. All patients received PBT to the primary site and involved nodal disease with a median dose of 50.4 Gy (relative biological effectiveness). Elective nodal irradiation was not delivered. RESULTS: The median follow-up period for surviving patients was 4.3 years. The 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates for the cohort (N = 14) were 45% and 25%, respectively. There were 10 relapses in the cohort: 7 regional nodal, 1 combination local and regional nodal, and 2 leptomeningeal. In 6 of 8 patients (75%) with no nodal disease at diagnosis, isolated regional nodal relapse developed. All nodal relapses occurred in first-echelon draining lymph node basins relative to the primary tumor site. Of 6 patients who presented with nodal metastases, 2 had regional nodal relapse; both of these nodal relapses occurred in the same nodal basin that was initially involved by disease but was not completely targeted as part of the primary treatment plan. CONCLUSIONS: High rates of regional nodal relapse are observed for HN-ARMS patients, including patients with no nodal disease at diagnosis. These data suggest that HN-ARMS patients may benefit from elective nodal irradiation to treat at-risk draining lymph node stations relative to the primary tumor site. We further recommend coverage of the entire nodal level for any sites of initial nodal disease at diagnosis, given the high risk of failure at these sites.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma in children and young adults: A report of 69 cases.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare mesenchymal tumor characterized by ASPL-TFE3 translocation. Apart from complete surgical resection, there is no standard management strategy. PROCEDURE: The clinical data of 69 children and young adults less than 30 years old with ASPS diagnosed from 1980-2014 were retrospectively collected from four major institutions. RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis was 17 years (range: 1.5-30). Forty-four (64%) were female. Median follow-up was 46 months (range: 1-409). Most common primary sites were limbs (58%) and trunk (24%). ASPL-TFE3 translocation was present in all 26 patients tested. IRS postsurgical staging was I in 19 (28%), II in 7 (10%), III in 5 (7%), and IV in 38 (55%) patients. The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 38% and 72%, respectively. The 5-year EFS and OS were 80% and 87%, respectively, for the 31 patients with localized tumors (IRS-I-II-III), and 7% and 61%, respectively, for the 38 patients with metastatic tumors (IRS-IV). Of 11 IRS-IV patients who received targeted therapy upfront, two had partial response, six had stable disease, and three had progressive disease. Median time to progression for IRS-IV patients was 12 months for those treated with targeted therapy, 7 months for cytotoxic chemotherapy (N = 15), and 4 months for observation only (N = 6). CONCLUSION: Localized ASPS has a good prognosis after gross total resection. ASPS is resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Although there are no curative therapies for patients with metastatic disease, prolonged disease stabilization may be achieved with targeted therapies.

Recurrent desmoplastic small round cell tumor responding to an mTOR inhibitor containing regimen.

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare mesenchymal tumor that typically presents with multiple abdominal masses. Initial treatment is multimodal in nature. Patients with relapsed DSRCT have a poor prognosis, and there are no standard therapies. We report our experience with five patients treated with vinorelbine, cyclophosphamide, and temsirolimus (VCT). Median number of VCT courses delivered was 7 (range 4-14 courses), and partial response was observed in all patients. Median time to progression or relapse was 8.5 months (range 7-16 months). Neutropenia and mucositis were most common toxicities (n = 4 each).

The impact of racial/ethnic disparities on survival for children and adolescents with extremity sarcomas: A population-based study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial/ethnic disparities exist in disease presentation, treatment, and survival among children and adolescents with extremity sarcoma. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data were analyzed for patients <20years old with soft-tissue extremity sarcomas from 1973 to 2013. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the association between race/ethnicity and disease stage at presentation and likelihood of surgical resection. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated using hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: 1261 cases were identified: 650 (52%) non-Hispanic whites (NHW), 313 (25%) Hispanics, 182 (14%) non-Hispanic blacks (NHB), and 116 (9%) other race/ethnicity. Logistic regression results showed that Hispanics and NHB were 51% and 44%, respectively, less likely to undergo surgical resection compared to NHW (OR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.30-0.80; OR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.32-0.98, respectively). Factors associated with failure to undergo surgical resection included histology, lower extremity site, tumor size, and distant metastases. OS based on race/ethnicity significantly differed using the log-rank test, with NHB having the worst survival (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that NHB, Hispanics, and other race/ethnicity were less likely to undergo surgical resection for extremity sarcoma. Further work is needed to better characterize and eliminate disparities in the management and outcomes of children with extremity sarcomas. TYPE OF STUDY: Prognosis study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Etiologies and Impact of Readmission Rates in the First 180 Days After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults.

INTRODUCTION: High rates of patients require readmission to the hospital within 6 months of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We investigated the relationship between readmission rates and outcomes after HSCT in children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients (26 years or younger) treated with HSCT was conducted. RESULTS: A chart review of 435 CAYA who underwent HSCT from 2008 to 2015 revealed that 171 patients (39%) had at least 1 hospital readmission within 180 days of transplant; 87% received allogeneic and 13% received autologous HSCT. A total of 312 readmission events were reported. The median follow-up time was 31 months. Documented infection (n=99) and graft-versus-host disease complications (n=60) were the most common causes. Higher than 2 readmission rates were associated with lower overall survival (OS) (P=0.001) and disease-free survival (P<0.001) in patients who received allogeneic HSCT. These findings were not found in the autologous HSCT. In a multivariate analysis of those who received allogeneic HSCT, prior treatment with ≥2 chemotherapy regimens (P=0.03) was independent predictor of lower OS. There were also trends noted toward lower OS for patients with documented infections at index admission or subsequent readmissions (P=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: More than 2 hospital readmissions within 6 months of allogeneic HSCT in CAYA, who are either heavily pretreated or had documented infections at index admission or subsequent readmissions adversely affected the outcomes.

Ewing sarcoma family of tumors in children younger than 10 years of age.

AIM: Few data exist regarding the clinical characteristics and outcome of young children with Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT). METHODS: We reviewed the records of ESFT patients at our institution younger than 10 years of age at diagnosis. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were identified. Median age was 6.4 years (range 0.6-9.5 years). Most patients had T2 (>5 cm) tumors (n = 31; 74%). Most common primary site was the extremity (n = 17; 41%). Seven patients (17%) had metastasis at diagnosis. For local tumor control, 20 patients had surgery only, 13 had radiation therapy only, and 6 had surgery plus radiation. Surgical margin status was negative in 19 patients (73%). Median follow-up was 4.7 years (range 0.7-29.7 years), and 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) estimates were 67% (95% CI: 53-84%) and 82% (95% CI: 71-95%), respectively. Metastasis at presentation was the only significant predictor for decreased RFS (P = 0.008) and OS (P = 0.01). A trend was seen for T2 tumors with worse OS (P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: Patients younger than 10 years of age with ESFT may have a better OS than older patients, but further study of a homogeneously treated larger cohort is needed.

Survival and toxicity following sequential multimodality treatment including whole abdominopelvic radiotherapy for patients with desmoplastic small round cell tumor.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare, aggressive malignancy. We report survival rates and toxicity associated with sequential multimodality treatment including whole abdominopelvic radiation therapy (WART). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of 32 patients with DSRCT treated at our institution were reviewed. Patients underwent chemotherapy, cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC), followed by WART with intensity-modulated radiation or volumetric-modulated arc therapy. RESULTS: Median overall survival (OS) was 60months. After 18months of follow-up, 20 patients (62.5%) had disease recurrence and median disease-free survival (DFS) was 10months. Median time to extrahepatic abdominal failure was 19.4months. Factors affecting time to local progression included liver metastases at diagnosis, and an interval of greater than 5.6months between diagnosis and HIPEC or greater than 2.1months between HIPEC and WART. None of these factors altered OS. Grade 3 or higher toxicities occurred in 84% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: WART following chemotherapy, surgical cytoreduction and HIPEC is an aggressive treatment for DSRCT patients and can result in severe side effects. Our median OS of 5years is favorable compared to prior studies, despite a median DFS of only 10months, which may be due to improved salvage therapies.

Analysis of redox and apoptotic effects of anthracyclines to delineate a cardioprotective strategy.

PURPOSE: Cardiotoxic side effects of anthracyclines limit their use as effective chemotherapeutics. One mechanistic model of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity is attributed to the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, this theory has been questioned because several cardioprotective strategies have included the use of antioxidants without significant clinical benefit. We sought to determine whether measurement of intracellular reactive oxygen species after anthracycline exposure in vivo and in vitro could provide a means for designing more effective antioxidant-based cardioprotective schemes. METHODS: Intracellular levels of ROS were assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from leukemia bearing mice exposed to anthracyclines and in patients receiving anthracyclines. Comparison of cell death induction and ROS levels were also conducted in vitro in cardiomyocyte and leukemia lines. ROS blockade using antioxidants was conducted, and effects on cell death were assessed. RESULTS: Elevated ROS in blood of mice and representative patient samples correlated with cardiomyocyte necrosis and decreased ejection fraction. In vitro, comparison of the cytotoxic effects of anthracyclines in acute leukemia cells and in cardiomyocytes revealed distinct kinetics of cell death induction and dependence upon oxidative stress. Although apoptotic cell death was observed in both acute leukemia cells and cardiomyocytes, the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine protected cardiomyocytes but not acute leukemia cells from anthracycline cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings point toward revisiting the use of NAC as a cardioprotective agent since it does not appear to interfere with the cytotoxic action of anthracyclines. NAC has been evaluated clinically for cardioprotective activity but future trials must ensure that adequate dose, scheduling and incorporation of markers of oxidative stress are included.

Proton versus conventional radiotherapy for pediatric salivary gland tumors: Acute toxicity and dosimetric characteristics.

PURPOSE: We evaluated acute toxicity profiles and dosimetric data for children with salivary gland tumors treated with adjuvant photon/electron-based radiation therapy (X/E RT) or proton therapy (PRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We identified 24 patients who had received adjuvant radiotherapy for salivary gland tumors. Data were extracted from the medical records and the treatment planning systems. Toxicity was scored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Effects 4.0. RESULTS: Eleven patients received X/E RT and 13 PRT, with a median prescribed dose of 60 Gy in each group. In the X/E RT group, 54% of patients developed acute grade II/III dermatitis, 27% grade II/III dysphagia, and 91% grade II/III mucositis, and the median weight loss was 5.3% with one patient requiring feeding tube placement. In the PRT group, 53% had acute grade II/III dermatitis, 0% grade II/III dysphagia, and 46% grade II/III mucositis, with a median weight gain of 1.2%. Additionally, PRT was associated with lower mean doses to several normal surrounding midline and contralateral structures. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study of pediatric salivary tumors, PRT was associated with a favorable acute toxicity and dosimetric profile. Continued follow-up is needed to identify long-term toxicity and survival data.

A Comparison Between Appendiceal and Nonappendiceal Neuroendocrine Tumors in Children and Young Adults: A Single-institution Experience.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare tumors. The purpose of this study is to report the clinical characteristics and outcomes of pediatric patients treated for NET at a single institution. PROCEDURE: A retrospective record review. RESULTS: There were 33 evaluable patients with median age of 17.9 years (range, 9.9 to 21.9 y) and predominantly females (58%). There were 17 patients with well-differentiated appendiceal NET, whereas 16 were nonappendiceal. Most common nonappendiceal sites were unknown primary (N=6) and pancreas (N=4). Majority of tumors were low grade (N=24, 73%) and small (T1, N=22, 67%). Nonappendiceal tumors were more likely to be larger or high-grade tumors (5/16, 31%), or with metastasis. All appendiceal NET patients underwent curative surgery. All patients who experienced treatment failure had nonappendiceal NET, despite prior chemotherapy in 8 of 9 patients. The 5-year overall survival rates for patients with appendiceal and nonappendiceal NET were 100% and 66% (95% CI, 45%-95%; P=0.006); and 5-year relapse-free survival rate for patients with appendiceal and nonappendiceal NET were 100% and 41% (95% CI, 22%-75%; P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Well-differentiated appendiceal tumors were the most common pediatric NET and have an excellent prognosis. Better therapies are needed for patients with nonappendiceal NET.

Clinical next generation sequencing of pediatric-type malignancies in adult patients identifies novel somatic aberrations.

Pediatric malignancies in adults, in contrast to the same diseases in children are clinically more aggressive, resistant to chemotherapeutics, and carry a higher risk of relapse. Molecular profiling of tumor sample using next generation sequencing (NGS) has recently become clinically available. We report the results of targeted exome sequencing of six adult patients with pediatric-type malignancies : Wilms tumor(n=2), medulloblastoma(n=2), Ewing's sarcoma( n=1) and desmoplastic small round cell tumor (n=1) with a median age of 28.8 years. Detection of druggable somatic aberrations in tumors is feasible. However, identification of actionable target therapies in these rare adult patients with pediatric-type malignancies is challenging. Continuous efforts to establish a rare disease registry are warranted.

Cytoreductive surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for children, adolescents, and young adults: the first 50 cases.

BACKGROUND: Extensive peritoneal metastatic disease is rare in children. Although usually manifested as carcinomatosis in adults, sarcomatosis is more common in children. The authors began a pediatric hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) program, and this report describes their initial results from the first 50 pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients. METHODS: A single-institution, retrospective study investigated the first 50 cytoreductive surgeries and HIPEC by one surgeon for patients 3-21 years of age. The HIPEC was added to chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. Demographics, outcome, and complications were recorded. RESULTS: The median follow-up period for the surviving patients was 21.9 months. The most common diagnoses were desmoplastic small round cell tumor (n = 21), rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 7), mesothelioma (n = 4), and other carcinoma (n = 17). Multivariate analysis showed that patients treated with HIPEC and an incomplete cytoreduction had a greater risk for recurrence than those who had a complete cytoreduction (p = 0.0002). The patients with a higher peritoneal cancer index (PCI) (i.e., a large tumor burden) had a median overall survival (OS) time of 19.9 months relative to the patients with a lower PCI score, who had a median OS of 34 months (p = 0.049). The patients without complete cytoreduction had a median OS of 7.1 months compared with 31.4 months for the patients with complete cytoreduction (p = 0.012). No perioperative mortalities occurred. The incidence of major complications was 28 %. CONCLUSION: Cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC with a programmatic approach for patients 3-21 years of age is unique. The best outcome was experienced by patients with desmoplastic small round cell tumor and those with complete cytoreduction. Complete cytoreduction for patients without disease outside the abdominal cavity at the time of surgery affords the best outcome.

Utility of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy in initial staging of Ewing sarcoma.

BACKGROUND: The current standard of care for initial staging of pediatric Ewing sarcoma (EWS) patients is to obtain a bilateral bone marrow aspiration and biopsy (BMAB). The incidence of bone marrow (BM) disease in patients deemed non-metastatic by conventional and metabolic imaging and the concordance of BM positivity with other clinical characteristics are not well established. PROCEDURE: This study is a multi-institutional retrospective review of newly diagnosed EWS patients less than 40 years of age with initial staging that included imaging and BMAB. RESULTS: A total of 116 patients were eligible with 85 patients considered non-metastatic and 31 considered metastatic by imaging. None of the 85 patients with non-metastatic disease were BMAB positive (0%; 95% CI: 0-4.2%); 13 of the 31 patients with metastases were BMAB positive (41.9%; 95% CI: 24.5-60.9%). Primary tumor size was significantly higher in patients with metastases (P = 0.017). Bone metastasis by imaging had high correlation with BMAB positivity (P = 0.0002). In addition, the number of bony metastatic sites was significantly higher in patients with a positive BMAB as compared to those with a negative BMAB (median 3.5 and 0.0, respectively; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: BMAB may not be required for initial staging of pediatric and young adult EWS patients deemed non-metastatic by imaging. In patients with metastatic disease, there is a high correlation of BM involvement with multiple bone metastases.

Theranostic Profiling for Actionable Aberrations in Advanced High Risk Osteosarcoma with Aggressive Biology Reveals High Molecular Diversity: The Human Fingerprint Hypothesis.

The survival of patients with advanced osteosarcoma is poor with limited therapeutic options. There is an urgent need for new targeted therapies based on biomarkers. Recently, theranostic molecular profiling services for cancer patients by CLIA-certified commercial companies as well as in-house profiling in academic medical centers have expanded exponentially. We evaluated molecular profiles of patients with advanced osteosarcoma whose tumor tissue had been analyzed by one of the following methods: 1. 182-gene next-generation exome sequencing (Foundation Medicine, Boston, MA), 2. Immunohistochemistry (IHC)/PCR-based panel (CARIS Target Now, Irving, Tx), 3.Comparative genome hybridization (Oncopath, San Antonio, TX). 4. Single-gene PCR assays, PTEN IHC (MDACC CLIA), 5. UT Houston morphoproteomics (Houston, TX). The most common actionable aberrations occur in the PI3K/PTEN/mTOR pathway. No patterns in genomic alterations beyond the above are readily identifiable, and suggest both high molecular diversity in osteosarcoma and the need for more analyses to define distinct subgroups of osteosarcoma defined by genomic alterations. Based on our preliminary observations we hypothesize that the biology of aggressive and the metastatic phenotype osteosarcoma at the molecular level is similar to human fingerprints, in that no two tumors are identical. Further large scale analyses of osteosarcoma samples are warranted to test this hypothesis.