Development of EPAT: An assessment tool for pediatric hematology/oncology training programs.

PURPOSE: In the absence of a standardized tool to assess the quality of pediatric hematology/oncology training programs, the Education Program Assessment Tool (EPAT) was conceptualized as a user-friendly and adaptable tool to evaluate and identify areas of opportunity, pinpoint needed modifications, and monitor progress for training programs around the world. METHODS: The development of EPAT consisted of three main phases: operationalization, consensus, and piloting. After each phase, the tool was iteratively modified based on feedback to improve its relevance, usability, and clarity. RESULTS: The operationalization process led to the development of 10 domains with associated assessment questions. The two-step consensus phase included an internal consensus phase to validate the domains and a subsequent external consensus phase to refine the domains and overall function of the tool. EPAT domains for programmatic evaluation are hospital infrastructure, patient care, education infrastructure, program basics, clinical exposure, theory, research, evaluation, educational culture, and graduate impact. EPAT was piloted in five training programs in five countries, representing diverse medical training and patient care contexts for proper validation of the tool. Face validity was confirmed by a correlation between the perceived and calculated scores for each domain (r = 0.78, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: EPAT was developed following a systematic approach, ultimately leading to a relevant tool to evaluate the different core elements of pediatric hematology/oncology training programs across the world. With EPAT, programs will have a tool to quantitatively evaluate their training, allowing for benchmarking with centers at the local, regional, and international level.

6-Mercaptopurine-induced recurrent acute pancreatitis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma.

Two children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma developed recurrent acute pancreatitis during treatment; the etiology was presumed to be secondary to 6-mercaptopurine (6MP). Both had no further attacks after discontinuation of 6MP. Acute pancreatitis secondary to 6MP is extremely rare in acute leukemia/lymphoma although it has been reported in patients with other conditions like inflammatory bowel disease; the reason for this difference is not clearly understood.

Outcome of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Accurate data about childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. Our study is designed to assess survival of childhood ALL at King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) using modified St. Jude Children's Research Hospital protocols. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of children 1-18 years of age who were diagnosed with ALL and treated at KHCC from January 2003 through December 2009. Disease characteristics and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Over a 7-year period, 300 children with ALL were treated. One hundred and seventy-three (57.7%) were males and 127 (42.3%) were females. The median age at diagnosis was 5 years. One hundred and fifty-seven (52.3%) children were classified as low-risk, 118 (39.3%) were standard-risk and 25 (8.3%) were high-risk. Two hundred and sixty-two (88.5%) children had pre-B cell phenotype and 34 (11.5%) had T-cell phenotype. Two hundred and seventy-three (91.3%) children were classified as having CNS I disease, 24 (8%) had CNS II, and 2 (0.67%) had CNS III. Cytogenetic abnormalities included: t(12;21) in 30 (12%) children and t(9;22) in 18 (7.4%). Four (1.3%) children died in induction, 6 (2%) died in first remission and 27 (9%) relapsed. After a median follow-up of 34.5 months (range 0.32-84.5), the estimated 5-year event free survival and overall survival were 80% and 89%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Treatment protocols developed by major cooperative groups and institutions to treat childhood ALL was successfully adapted and suggest that such an approach may be useful in other low- and middle-income countries.

Secondary hematopoietic malignancies in survivors of childhood cancer: an analysis of 111 cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result-9 registry.

BACKGROUND: Studying secondary hematological malignancies in a large cohort of patients can help predict risks and trends associated with current therapies. METHODS: The authors analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Resultsecondary 9 (SEER-9) database on patients with a primary malignancy (diagnosed before the age of 20 years) between 1973 and 2005 who developed a secondary hematological malignancy. Primary cancer and histological subtype, incidence, risk factors, outcomes, and changes in risk patterns of secondary hematological malignancies were analyzed for 1973 to 1985, 1986 to 1995, and 1996 to 2005. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of observed to expected cancers were calculated. RESULTS: Of 34,867 patients with a histology-confirmed primary malignancy, 111 developed secondary hematological malignancies (median, 44 months). Lymphoma was the commonest primary cancer (n = 47). The main histological subtype of secondary hematological malignancy was acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (49%), which had the shortest median latency time and the worst 5-year survival (18% ± 5.3%; P = .044). Secondary Hodgkin lymphoma had the best 5-year survival (83% ± 15%). The 5-year overall survival for patients with secondary hematological malignancies was 31% ± 4.7%. The risk of secondary AML steadily increased from 1986 to 2005, whereas SIRs for acute lymphoblastic leukemia did not change over time. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the second most common secondary hematological malignancy, occurred at a median of 112 months, and its risk steadily increased over time periods. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of developing secondary hematological malignancies, particularly secondary AML. This risk has continued to rise even in recent years, emphasizing the need to study other factors contributing to secondary hematological malignancies and closely monitor these patients.

Comparing adult and pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, 1988-2005: an analysis of 21 734 cases.

We analyzed data from 18 898 adults (age ≥20 years) and 2836 children/adolescents reported in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database as having Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), diagnosed from 1988 to 2005. The nodular sclerosis subtype was significantly more common in the pediatric age group (76% in children/adolescents vs. 61% in adults, p < 0.001). The mixed cellularity subtype was more prevalent in children <10 years old (22%), but less likely in older children/adolescents (8.5%). Systemic symptoms were reported in 39% of children/adolescents and in 48% of adults (p < 0.001). Children/adolescents had significantly better HL-specific survival than adults (5-year survival rate, 96% ±â€Š0.4% vs.88% ±â€Š0.3%, p < 0.001). Using a Cox proportional-hazards regression model in patients with classical HL, the prognostic factors significantly impacting survival were age, histology, stage, B symptoms, year of diagnosis, and race. The only adverse prognostic factors that were significant when this analysis was restricted to children/adolescents were stage IV disease and the presence of B symptoms. In conclusion, several differences in clinicopathologic features and outcomes were identified between children/adolescents and adults with HL, and this was particularly noted in young children (<10 years).