Comparison between whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and whole-body metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy in the evaluation of primary tumor and metastases in neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Whole-body metaiodobenzylguanidine (131 I-MIBG) scintigraphy is the gold standard method to detect neuroblastoma; however, it depends on radioactive material and is expensive. In contrast, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) is affordable in developing countries and has been shown to be effective in the evaluation of solid tumors. This study aimed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of WB-MRI with MIBG in the detection of primary tumors and neuroblastoma metastases. PROCEDURE: This retrospective study enrolled patients with neuroblastoma between 2013 and 2020. All patients underwent WB-MRI and MIBG at intervals of up to 15 days. The results were marked in a table that discriminated anatomical regions for each patient. Two experts evaluated, independently and in anonymity, the WB-MRI images, and two others evaluated MIBG. The results were compared in terms of sensitivity and specificity, for each patient, considering MIBG as the gold standard. This study was approved by the UNIFESP Ethics Committee. RESULTS: Thirty patients with neuroblastoma were enrolled in this study. The age ranged from 1 to 15 years, with a mean of 5.7 years. The interval between exams (WB-MRI and MIBG) ranged from 1 to 13 days, with an average of 6.67 days. Compared to MIBG, WB-MRI presented a sensitivity and specificity greater than or equal to 90% for the detection of primary neuroblastoma in bones and lymph nodes. When we consider the patient without individualizing the anatomical regions, WB-MRI presented sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 73.33%. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, WB-MRI is a sensitive and specific method to detect neuroblastoma in bone and lymph nodes and highly sensible to primary tumor diagnosis, suggesting that this test is a viable alternative in places where MIBG is difficult to access. Studies with a larger number of cases are necessary for definitive conclusions.

Can diffusion-weighted whole-body MRI replace contrast-enhanced CT for initial staging of Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adolescents?

BACKGROUND: Although positron emission tomography with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET/CT) has been recommended as the method of choice for lymphoma staging, it has limited availability in several countries, therefore, studies comparing whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to conventional staging methods or to FDG-PET/CT are an important tool to establish whole-body MRI as an alternative to these methods. OBJECTIVE: To compare whole-body MRI versus conventional imaging methods for staging of Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 22 patients ages 5 to 21 years. Staging was performed using conventional imaging methods and whole-body MRI. Conventional imaging methods were defined as computed tomography (CT) of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis and ultrasonography of the neck and/or abdomen. We calculated the sensitivity of these methods for Hodgkin lymphoma staging and their sensitivity and specificity for detecting sites of nodal and extranodal involvement. RESULTS: The sensitivity of whole-body MRI for Hodgkin lymphoma staging was superior to that of conventional imaging methods (95.5% vs. 86.4%, respectively), but both methods had similar sensitivity and specificity for detecting involvement of nodal sites (99.1% and 100% vs. 97.3% and 100%, respectively) and extranodal sites (90.5% and 98.7% vs. 90.5% and 99.4%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Whole-body MRI has excellent sensitivity for staging of Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adolescents. It can thus be considered an alternative for this purpose, particularly because it does not expose patients to ionizing radiation.

Tumores abdominais malignos mais frequentes na infância: diagnóstico diferencial / Most common abdominal malignancies in childhood: differential diagnosis

Objetivo: Discutir as características clínicas e laboratoriais dos tumores malignos abdominais mais frequentes na infância, contribuindo para o diagnóstico precoce destas doenças. A maioria das massas abdominais é causada por doenças benignas. Eventualmente, neoplasias malignas da infância também se manifestam como tumor abdominal. Os autores discutem as principais características dos tumores abdominais malignos mais frequentes na infância. Conclusão: Através da análise dos dados clínicos e do exame físico do paciente com tumor abdominal, o pediatra pode traçar hipóteses diagnósticas e encaminhar precocemente a criança para centros especializados...

Câncer na infância / Cancers in childhood

A despeito da raridade do câncer na infância, ocorrem cerca de 12.400 casos novos de câncer por ano nos EUA em crianças e adolescentes com idade inferior a 20 anos. O diagnóstico precoce do câncer nesta faixa etária é usualmente difícil de ser realizado em estádios iniciais, pois os sinais e sintomas das neoplasias malignas são relativamente inespecíficos e mimetizam uma variedade de outras doenças frequentes na criança. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir a incidência dos tumores e os sinais e sintomas de alarme, que requerem imediata avaliação e estabelecimento do diagnóstico. Quando possível, a criança com suspeita de câncer e seus familiares devem ser encaminhados para centro de oncologia pediátrico. Embora a incidência de doença maligna na infância seja baixa, o impacto do diagnóstico do câncer torna imperativo que todos os profissionais da saúde inseridos na Pediatria tenham alto índice de suspeita de câncer. Diagnóstico precoce de câncer pode salvar a vida de uma criança...

Leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and Wilms tumor in childhood: the role of birth weight.

There is emerging evidence that higher birth weight is associated with increased risk of cancer, in particular childhood leukemia. The purpose of this paper is to study whether this correlation is also significant with other childhood cancer. For this, we conducted a case-control study including 410 childhood cancer patients and 1,575 matched controls to investigate birth weight as a risk factor for leukemia, Wilms tumor, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The estimated risk for all cancers has been found to be statistically and significantly higher in birth weight of more than 4,000 g (odds ratio, 2.50 and 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.72-3.63). For leukemia, the estimated risk was 1.86 (95% CI, 1.04-3.30), for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1.99 (95% CI, 1.08-3.69), and being more remarkable for Wilms tumor, 4.76 (95% CI, 2.73-8.28). Moreover, moderate increased risk of both leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma was also associated with birth weight between 3,000 and 3,999 g. High birth weight was associated with all cancers also when adjusted by gestational age, length at birth, and gender (odds ratio, 6.10 and 95% CI, 1.15-32.57). No associations were found for maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, maternal smoking, or smoking by other people at home or presence of obstetric variables (e.g., gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and abruptio placentae). The present study supports the hypothesis that high birth weight is an independent risk factor for childhood Wilms tumor, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Further studies should explore biological reasons to explain this relationship and, ultimately, to expand our knowledge about prenatal influences on the occurrence of this disease.

Cefepime monotherapy is as effective as ceftriaxone plus amikacin in pediatric patients with cancer and high-risk febrile neutropenia in a randomized comparison.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The empirical use of antibiotic therapy is widely accepted for patients with fever and neutropenia during cancer chemotherapy. The use of intravenous monotherapy with broad-spectrum antibiotics in patients at high risk for complications is an appropriate alternative. However, few data are available for pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of cefepime (CFP) monotherapy with ceftriaxone plus amikacin (CFT+AK) in children and adolescents with febrile neutropenia (FN). METHODS: A prospective randomized open study of patients with lymphoma or leukemia who had fever and neutropenia during chemotherapy was conducted. Patients were randomized to receive CFP or CFT+AK. The randomization was based on number lists. RESULTS: Fifty seven patients with 125 episodes of fever and neutropenia were evaluated (CFP, 62 episodes; CFT+AK, 63 episodes). The mean neutrophil count at admission to hospital was 118.6 cells/mm(3) for patients in the CFP group and 107 cells/mm(3) for patients in the CFT+AK group. The mean duration of neutropenia was 9 days for the CFP group and 8 days for the CFT+AK group. Analysis of only the first episodes for each patient showed that CFP treatment was successful for 65.5% of episodes and CFT+AK was successful for 64.3% of episodes. The overall rates of success with modification were 90% for the CFP group and 89% for the CFT+AK group. No major treatment-emergent toxicity was reported. CONCLUSION: Monotherapy with CFP seems to be as effective and safe as CFT+AK for initial empirical therapy in children and adolescents with FN.

Tumores abdominais malignos mais frequentes na infância: diagnóstico diferencial / Most common abdominal malignancies in childhood: differential diagnosis

Objetivo: Discutir as principais características clínicas do neuroblastoma, linfoma e tumor de Wilms, contribuindo para o diagnóstico precoce destas doenças. Fonte de dados: Medline PubMed. Síntese dos dados: Na prática clínica o achado de tumores abdominais na infância é frequente. A maioria das massas é causada por doenças benignas. Eventualmente, neoplasias malignas da infância também se manifestam como tumor abdominal. Os autores discutem neste artigo as principais diferenças clínicas e laboratoriais dos três tumores abdominais malignos mais frequentes na infância: linfoma não Hodgkin, neuroblastoma e tumor renal de Wilms. Conclusão: Através da análise dos dados clínicos e do exame físico do paciente com tumor maligno abdominal, o pediatra pode traçar hipóteses diagnósticas e encaminhar precocemente a criança para centros especializados.

Contribution to the treatment of nausea and emesis induced by chemotherapy in children and adolescents with osteosarcoma.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy-induced emesis is a limiting factor in treating children with malignancies. Intensive chemotherapy regimens along with emetogenic drug administration have increased the frequency and severity of emesis and nausea. Our study was designed to consider the importance of this problem and the need for improvement in emesis treatment for patients receiving chemotherapy. Our objective was to compare the efficacy and safety of the antiemetic drug granisetron and a regimen of metoclopramide plus dimenhydrinate. DESIGN AND SETTING: Open, prospective and randomized study at Instituto de Oncologia Pediátrica, Department of Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. METHODS: From February to August 1994, 26 patients (mean age: 14 years) with osteosarcoma received 80 chemotherapy cycles of iphosphamide (2,500 mg/m2) plus epirubicin (75 mg/m2) or carboplatin (600 mg/m2), or epirubicin (75 mg/m2) plus carboplatin (600 mg/m2). Eighty chemotherapy treatments were analyzed regarding nausea and vomiting control. Patients were randomized to receive either a single dose of granisetron (50 microg/kg) or metoclopramide (2 mg/kg) plus dimenhydrinate (5 mg/kg infused over eight hours). Emesis and nausea were monitored for 24 hours by means of the modified Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis. Statistical analysis utilized the chi-squared, Student t and Mann-Whitney tests, plus data exploration techniques. RESULTS: 62.5% of the patients undergoing chemotherapy responded completely to granisetron, whereas 10% responded to metoclopramide plus dimenhydrinate (p < 0.0001). No severe adverse reactions were found in either of the treatments given. CONCLUSION: In children and adolescents with osteosarcoma, granisetron was safe and more efficient than metoclopramide plus dimenhydrinate for controlling chemotherapy-induced emesis and nausea.

Contribution to the treatment of nausea and emesis induced by chemotherapy in children and adolescents with osteosarcoma

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: A êmese induzida por quimioterapia é fator limitante no tratamento de crianças com câncer. O uso de quimioterapia com drogas emetogênicas tem aumentado a freqüência desse efeito colateral. O objetivo é comparar a eficácia e a toxicidade do granisetron às da combinação de altas doses de metoclopramida e dimenidrato em crianças com osteossarcoma utilizando a mesma quimioterapia. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Aberto, prospectivo, randomizado, realizado no Instituto de Oncologia Pediátrica, Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Entre fevereiro e agosto de 1994, 26 crianças com idade de 7 a 18 anos (média de 14 anos), recebendo quimioterapia para osteossarcoma, entraram no estudo. A quimioterapia consistiu de ciclos repetidos de: A) ifosfamida 2.500 mg/m² + epirrubicina 75 mg/m²; B) ifosfamida 2.500 mg/m² + carboplatina 600 mg/m²; C) carboplatina 600 mg/m² + epirrubicina 75 mg/m². 80 tratamentos quimioterápicos foram avaliados para o controle de náuse e vômito. Os pacientes foram randomizados para receber dose única de granisetron (50 µ/kg) ou metoclopramida (2 mg/kg) mais dimenidrato (5 mg/kg) infundidos por oito horas. Êmese e náusea foram monitoradas por 24 horas por meio de escore de MANE (Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis). Foram utilizados testes de Qui-quadrado, t e Mann Whitney, além da técnica de análise exploratória de dados. RESULTADOS: O granisetron induziu resposta completa em 62,5% dos pacientes submetidos aos tratamentos quimioterápicos comparado a apenas 10% obtidos com a combinação de metoclopramida associado ao dimenidrato (p < 0,0001). CONCLUSÕES: Concluímos que o granisetron é droga segura e eficiente em crianças com osteossarcoma superior à associação de metoclopramida e dimenidrato no controle de náuseas e vômitos induzidos por quimioterapia para osteossarcoma em crianças.

Linfoma não Hodgkin na infância e adolescência / Non Hodgkin's lymphoma in childhood and adolescent: treatment experience and clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical correlation

Introdução: O Linfoma não Hodgkin (LNH) é a terceira neoplasia mais freqüente na faixa etária pediátrica e representa 10 por cento das doenças malignas da infância. Objetivos: Descrever as características do linfoma não Hodgkin quanto ao tipo de apresentação ao diagnóstico, tratamento, evolução clínica e fatores prognósticos; correlacionar as características clínicas e a imuno-expressão das proteínas p53, p21, MDM2, Bcl-2, VEGF, o antígeno PCNA e o anticorpo monoclonal MIB1 (Ki-67) nos espécimes tumorais com a sobrevida global e a sobrevida livre de doença de crianças e adolescentes com linfoma não Hodgkin. Métodos: No período de junho de 1988 a janeiro de 2003, foram tratados duzentos e quatro pacientes portadores de linfoma não Hodgkin, de forma consecutiva, não selecionada; 27 (13,23 por cento) com o protocolo LNH II 85, cento e setenta e um (83,82 por cento) com os protocolos do Grupo Brasileiro para Tratamento de Linfoma na Infância (GBTLI) e seis (3 por cento) com outros protocolos. Dos 204 pacientes foram resgatados 90 blocos de parafina os quais possibilitaram inúmeros cortes para revisão. O estudo imunoistoquímico foi realizado para os seguintes anticorpos: PCNA, p53, Ki-67, p21, Bcl2, MDM2 e VEGF. A imunoexpressão do Ki-67 e do PCNA foi avaliada quantitativamente contando-se no mínimo 1000 células neoplásicas. A análise das lâminas do p53, Bcl2, p21, MDM2 e VEGF foi realizada através do método semiquantitativo nas áreas de "hot spots". Resultados: A nossa casuística mostrou que a maioria (82 por cento) dos pacientes apresentavam estádio avançado (III e IV); 61 por cento dos pacientes avaliados tinham DHL acima do normal ao diagnóstico; em 51 pacientes (26 por cento) o nível chegava até a duas vezes o limite superior de normalidade, enquanto em 68 pacientes (35 por cento) os valores de DHL ultrapassavam duas vezes o limite superior de normalidade; o abdome (53 por cento), cabeça e pescoço (24,5 por cento), tórax (14 por cento) e osso (7 por cento), foram os locais primários mais freqüentemente acometidos; houve um predomínio dos linfomas de Burkitt (51,5 por cento), seguido pelos linfomas de grandes células (21,1 por cento) e os linfomas linfoblásticos (17,6 por cento). Conclusões: Quase a totalidade dos pacientes (95 por cento) entrou em remissão...