Iron Overload in Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients transfused with packed red blood cells (PRBC), including childhood cancer survivors (CCS), experience complications. We describe iron overload (ferritin>500 ng/mL) prevalence and identify risk factors in CCS. OBSERVATIONS: Of 116 participants, 3 (2.6%) had elevated ferritin. All were teenagers at cancer diagnosis and received >8000 mL PRBC. Total PRBC volume correlated best with elevated ferritin (r=0.74; P<0.0001). PRBC (8000 mL) had the best positive and negative predictive value (75% and 100%, respectively) for iron overload. CONCLUSIONS: CCS may have iron overload. Overall prevalence is low. At-risk include teenagers at diagnosis and those receiving higher total PRBC volumes.

Guidelines for outpatient administration of naxitamab: Experience from Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital.

AIM: In this publication, we will share our experience of AE management, provide guidance for appropriate staffing, and the discuss the importance of patient education when treating patients with R/R HR neuroblastoma using naxitamab. BACKGROUND: Approved treatments for patients with refractory and/or relapsed (R/R) high-risk (HR) neuroblastoma are limited, and there is a high unmet need for new treatment combinations. Naxitamab is a disialoganglioside 2 (GD2)-binding antibody that was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2020 for use in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor for the treatment of patients with R/R HR neuroblastoma in the bone and/or bone marrow and who have demonstrated a partial response, minor response, or stable disease with prior therapy. METHODS: The pediatric oncology team at Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital has successfully treated several patients with naxitamab both alone and in combination with chemotherapy, with no patients requiring unplanned overnight hospitalization and few severe adverse events (AEs). To accomplish this, the team at Levine Children's Hospital established standard operating procedures for naxitamab, a therapy defined as high acuity due to the potential for acute AEs with rapid onset and that benefits from continuous monitoring by a nursing team and a dedicated provider. CONCLUSIONS: This will provide a practical guide for institutions offering naxitamab to their patients, and ensure successful administration of this high acuity treatment in the outpatient setting.