Retinoblastoma in Asia: Clinical Presentation and Treatment Outcomes in 2112 Patients from 33 Countries.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of children who received a diagnosis of retinoblastoma in 2017 throughout Asia. DESIGN: Multinational, prospective study including treatment-naïve patients in Asia who received a diagnosis of retinoblastoma in 2017 and were followed up thereafter. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2112 patients (2797 eyes) from 96 retinoblastoma treatment centers in 33 Asian countries. INTERVENTIONS: Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, enucleation, and orbital exenteration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Enucleation and death. RESULTS: Within the cohort, 1021 patients (48%) were from South Asia (SA), 503 patients (24%) were from East Asia (EA), 310 patients (15%) were from Southeast Asia (SEA), 218 patients (10%) were from West Asia (WA), and 60 patients (3%) were from Central Asia (CA). Mean age at presentation was 27 months (median, 23 months; range, < 1-261 months). The cohort included 1195 male patients (57%) and 917 female patients (43%). The most common presenting symptoms were leukocoria (72%) and strabismus (13%). Using the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Manual, Eighth Edition, classification, tumors were staged as cT1 (n = 441 [16%]), cT2 (n = 951 [34%]), cT3 (n = 1136 [41%]), cT4 (n = 267 [10%]), N1 (n = 48 [2%]), and M1 (n = 129 [6%]) at presentation. Retinoblastoma was treated with intravenous chemotherapy in 1450 eyes (52%) and 857 eyes (31%) underwent primary enucleation. Three-year Kaplan-Meier estimates for enucleation and death were 33% and 13% for CA, 18% and 4% for EA, 27% and 15% for SA, 32% and 22% for SEA, and 20% and 11% for WA (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: At the conclusion of this study, significant heterogeneity was found in treatment outcomes of retinoblastoma among the regions of Asia. East Asia displayed better outcomes with higher rates of globe and life salvage, whereas Southeast Asia showed poorer outcomes compared with the rest of Asia. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Consensus guidelines for the management of pediatric medulloblastoma in low and middle-income countries.

The management of medulloblastoma, a pediatric brain tumor, has evolved significantly with the advent of genomic subgrouping, yet morbidity and mortality remain high in LMICs like Pakistan due to inadequate multidisciplinary care infrastructure. This paper aims to establish evidence-based guidelines tailored to the constraints of such countries. An expert panel comprising neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, radiation oncologists, neuropathologists, and pediatricians collaborated to develop these guidelines, considering the specific challenges of pediatric brain tumor care in Pakistan. The recommendations cover various aspects of medulloblastoma treatment, including pre-surgical workup, neurosurgery, neuropathology, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and supportive care. They offer both minimum required and additional optional protocols for more advanced centers, ensuring comprehensive patient management with attention to complications and complexities encountered in Pakistan. The paper's consensus guidelines strive for uniformity in healthcare delivery and address significant gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of pediatric medulloblastoma patients.

Impact of dedicated pediatric neuro-oncological services in a developing country: A single-institution, Pakistani experience.

INTRODUCTION: Brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasms and the second most common malignancy in the pediatric age group. Due to the complexity of their management, pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors are not a priority in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: In an attempt to improve the survival rate and overall care, we introduced a dedicated pediatric neuro-oncology service in our institute and evaluated its impact by dividing the pre- and post-era into two cohorts and comparing them: 1998-2013 (16 years: cohort A) and 2014-2019 (6 years: cohort B, after the start of dedicated neuro-oncology services). RESULTS: We observed that after the implementation of a proper neuro-oncology service, the proportion of patients treated with curative intent increased, and survival improved in cohort B. The patient volume also increased from 15.5 per year in cohort A to 44.8 per year in cohort B. The percentage of children given radiation therapy also increased significantly, while the proportion of children treated with chemotherapy remained stable. CONCLUSION: A dedicated multidisciplinary team trained and knowledgeable in the specialty of pediatric neuro-oncology can enhance and improve outcomes, and supportive care and help can provide good quality of life to children and their families with brain neoplasms.

Building the ecosystem for pediatric neuro-oncology care in Pakistan: Results of a 7-year long twinning program between Canada and Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries sustain the majority of pediatric cancer burden, with significantly poorer survival rates compared to high-income countries. Collaboration between institutions in low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries is one of the ways to improve cancer outcomes. METHODS: Patient characteristics and effects of a pediatric neuro-oncology twinning program between the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada and several hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan over 7 years are described in this article. RESULTS: A total of 460 patients were included in the study. The most common primary central nervous system tumors were low-grade gliomas (26.7%), followed by medulloblastomas (18%), high-grade gliomas (15%), ependymomas (11%), and craniopharyngiomas (11.7%). Changes to the proposed management plans were made in consultation with expert physicians from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. On average, 24% of the discussed cases required a change in the original management plan over the course of the twinning program. However, a decreasing trend in change in management plans was observed, from 36% during the first 3.5 years to 16% in the last 3 years. This program also led to the launch of a national pediatric neuro-oncology telemedicine program in Pakistan. CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary and collaborative efforts by experts from across the world have aided in the correct diagnosis and treatment of children with brain tumors and helped establish local treatment protocols. This experience may be a model for other low- and middle-income countries that are planning on creating similar programs.

Germline-driven replication repair-deficient high-grade gliomas exhibit unique hypomethylation patterns.

Replication repair deficiency (RRD) leading to hypermutation is an important driving mechanism of high-grade glioma (HGG) occurring predominantly in the context of germline mutations in RRD-associated genes. Although HGG presents specific patterns of DNA methylation corresponding to oncogenic mutations, this has not been well studied in replication repair-deficient tumors. We analyzed 51 HGG arising in the background of gene mutations in RRD utilizing either 450 k or 850 k methylation arrays. These were compared with HGG not known to be from patients with RRD. RRD HGG harboring secondary mutations in glioma genes such as IDH1 and H3F3A displayed a methylation pattern corresponding to these methylation subgroups. Strikingly, RRD HGG lacking these known secondary mutations clustered together with an incompletely described group of HGG previously labeled "Wild type-C" or "Paediatric RTK 1". Independent analysis of two comparator HGG cohorts showed that other RRD/hypermutant tumors clustered within these subgroups, suggesting that undiagnosed RRD may be driving some HGG clustering in this location. RRD HGG displayed a unique CpG Island Demethylator Phenotype in contrast to the CpG Island Methylator Phenotype described in other cancers. Hypomethylation was enriched at gene promoters with prominent demethylation in genes and pathways critical to cellular survival including cell cycle, gene expression, cellular metabolism, and organization. These data suggest that methylation arrays may provide diagnostic information for the detection of RRD HGG. Furthermore, our findings highlight the unique natural selection pressures in these highly dysregulated, hypermutant cancers and provide the novel impact of hypermutation and RRD on the cancer epigenome.

Childhood Core Binding Factor (CBF) acute myeloid leukaemia and its association with French American British (FAB) classification.

OBJECTIVE: To find the frequency of core binding factor acute myeloid leukaemia in our population, and to determine its association with morphological subtypes. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at The Indus Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of patients aged 1-17 years who were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia from July 2013 to June 2017. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: Of the 237 patients, 137(58%) were males and 100(42%) were females. The overall mean age was 8±4.34 years. Cytogenetic testing had been performed in 212(89.45%) cases, and core binding factor was detected in 72(34%) cases. There was significant difference between the mean values of white cell count and the subtypes (p=0.000). Also the difference between core binding factor and the subtypes was significant (p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: There was found to be a significant association of core binging factor with specific subgroups of acute myeloid leukaemia.

Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S.

Introduction: Initiated in June 2019, this collaborative effort involved 15 public and private sector hospitals in Pakistan. The primary objective was to enhance the capacity for pediatric neuro-oncology (PNO) care, supported by a My Child Matters/Foundation S grant. Methods: We aimed to establish and operate Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards (MTBs) on a national scale, covering 76% of the population (185.7 million people). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTBs transitioned to videoconferencing. Fifteen hospitals with essential infrastructure participated, holding monthly sessions addressing diagnostic and treatment challenges. Patient cases were anonymized for confidentiality. Educational initiatives, originally planned as in-person events, shifted to a virtual format, enabling continued implementation and collaboration despite pandemic constraints. Results: A total of 124 meetings were conducted, addressing 545 cases. To augment knowledge, awareness, and expertise, over 40 longitudinal lectures were organized for healthcare professionals engaged in PNO care. Additionally, two symposia with international collaborators and keynote speakers were also held to raise national awareness. The project achieved significant milestones, including the development of standardized national treatment protocols for low-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, and high-grade glioma. Further protocols are currently under development. Notably, Pakistan's first pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship program was launched, producing two graduates and increasing the number of trained pediatric neuro-oncologists in the country to three. Discussion: The initiative exemplifies the potential for capacity building in PNO within low-middle income countries. Success is attributed to intra-national twinning programs, emphasizing collaborative efforts. Efforts are underway to establish a national case registry for PNO, ensuring a comprehensive and organized approach to monitoring and managing cases. This collaborative initiative, supported by the My Child Matters/Foundation S grant, showcases the success of capacity building in pediatric neuro-oncology in low-middle income countries. The establishment of treatment protocols, fellowship programs, and regional tumor boards highlights the potential for sustainable improvements in PNO care.

Evolution of Systemic Therapy in Medulloblastoma Including Irradiation-Sparing Approaches.

The management of medulloblastoma in children has dramatically changed over the past four decades, with the development of chemotherapy protocols aiming at improving survival and reducing long-term toxicities of high-dose craniospinal radiotherapy. While the staging and treatment of medulloblastoma were until recently based on the modified Chang's system, recent advances in the molecular biology of medulloblastoma have revolutionized approaches in the management of this increasingly complex disease. The evolution of systemic therapies is described in this review.

Barriers and Facilitators of Quality Family-Centered Communication in Pakistan.

PURPOSE: Communication is a fundamental aspect of patient- and family-centered care. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of evidence regarding pediatric cancer communication in low- and middle-income countries, where over 90% of all children with childhood cancer live. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators of quality communication within two pediatric cancer centers in Pakistan. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 multidisciplinary pediatric cancer clinicians and 18 caregivers of children with cancer at Children's Hospital of Lahore and Indus Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Interviews were conducted in English or Urdu, audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated to English. Two researchers coded each transcript using an inductively derived codebook. Thematic content analysis focused on barriers and facilitators of high-quality communication. RESULTS: Pakistani clinicians and caregivers identified factors that affected the quality of patient-centered cancer communication. These included structural factors including setting, available interpreters, documentation, patient volume, teamwork, and financial support. Clinician-level communication barriers and facilitators included communication training, clinician distress/boundaries, and the ability to have recurrent conversations. Patient or family characteristics affecting communication included education, income status, primary language, and geography; the child's specific disease type; and relational elements such as social support, empowerment, and split decision makers. Participants identified existing or potential interventions related to each factor. CONCLUSION: Multilevel factors serve as either barriers or facilitators for pediatric cancer communication in Pakistan. Identification of these elements of communication is an essential step toward interventions aimed at improving patient- and family-centered care in resource limited settings.

An Outcome Analysis of Childhood Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Treated with Atra and Arsenic Trioxide, and Limited Dose Anthracycline.

The overall survival of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL), reported in recent studies, is approaching to 90% wherein, arsenic trioxide (ATO) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) are used as the mainstay of treatment with either limited or no use of anthracycline and cytarabine. This study is aimed to ascertain the outcome of children with APL using similar approach. A total of 30 patients with APL, registered from January 2015 to December 2018, were reviewed. Diagnosis was established on bone marrow aspirate and confirmed by the presence of PML-RARA translocation. Treatment protocol was based on Australian APML 4 study performed by Australian Leukemia Lymphoma Group (ALLG). Lumbar puncture was not performed as it was not part of the protocol due to the risk of bleeding. The mean age in current cohort was 9 years with 53% males. Seven (23.3%) patients died and three (10%) abandoned treatment during induction. Twenty patients completed the intensive phase of chemotherapy and all (100%) of them attained molecular remission (MR). One patient dropped out after MR whereas, 19 remain on follow up with no evidence of disease, reflecting disease free survival (DFS) of 95%. With a median follow up of 2.5 years (range 2.1-4.8 years) the 5 years Kaplan-Meier estimate of OS was 63% and 73%, with and without abandonment, respectively. Analysis of outcome according to risk groups revealed inferior outcome of high risk (HR) group (38% and 50% with and without abandonment, respectively) in contrast to standard risk (SR) group which showed better outcome (82% and 88% with and without abandonment, respectively). The attainment of 100% molecular remission and absence of relapse supports the effectiveness of this regimen. Moreover, it is found to be less toxic and therefore, can be conveniently managed in day-care settings.

Survival Benefit for Individuals With Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency Undergoing Surveillance.

PURPOSE: Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome (CMMRD) is a lethal cancer predisposition syndrome characterized by early-onset synchronous and metachronous multiorgan tumors. We designed a surveillance protocol for early tumor detection in these individuals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected from patients with confirmed CMMRD who were registered in the International Replication Repair Deficiency Consortium. Tumor spectrum, efficacy of the surveillance protocol, and malignant transformation of low-grade lesions were examined for the entire cohort. Survival outcomes were analyzed for patients followed prospectively from the time of surveillance implementation. RESULTS: A total of 193 malignant tumors in 110 patients were identified. Median age of first cancer diagnosis was 9.2 years (range: 1.7-39.5 years). For patients undergoing surveillance, all GI and other solid tumors, and 75% of brain cancers were detected asymptomatically. By contrast, only 16% of hematologic malignancies were detected asymptomatically (P < .001). Eighty-nine patients were followed prospectively and used for survival analysis. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 90% (95% CI, 78.6 to 100) and 50% (95% CI, 39.2 to 63.7) when cancer was detected asymptomatically and symptomatically, respectively (P = .001). Patient outcome measured by adherence to the surveillance protocol revealed 4-year OS of 79% (95% CI, 54.8 to 90.9) for patients undergoing full surveillance, 55% (95% CI, 28.5 to 74.5) for partial surveillance, and 15% (95% CI, 5.2 to 28.8) for those not under surveillance (P < .0001). Of the 64 low-grade tumors detected, the cumulative likelihood of transformation from low-to high-grade was 81% for GI cancers within 8 years and 100% for gliomas in 6 years. CONCLUSION: Surveillance and early cancer detection are associated with improved OS for individuals with CMMRD.