Advancing Parental Age and Risk of Solid Tumors in Children: A Case-Control Study in Peru.

BACKGROUND: The causes of childhood cancer are not well known, but the advanced age of the parents has been suggested as a risk factor for childhood cancer in several observational studies. In this study, we examine a possible link between parental age and childhood solid tumors. METHODS: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study (310 cases and 620 controls, matched by age and gender) at Rebagliati Hospital, Lima, Peru. Odd ratio was used to compare categories of advancing maternal and paternal age with and without adjusting for possible confounding factors were calculated. RESULTS: The risk of childhood retinoblastoma was significantly higher among children of mothers aged> 35 years (adjusted OR 1.21; 95% CI, 1.09-6.08) and fathers aged> 35 years (OR 1.17; 1.01-16.33). A significant trend with increasing mother's age (p = 0.037) and father's age (p = 0.005) was found. There were more risks to development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (p = 0.047) and gonadal germ cell tumors (p = 0.04) for advanced paternal age. There was a strong protective effect of increasing parity on risk of solid tumors in children (p=0.0015). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that advanced parental age is associated with the risk for the development of retinoblastoma. Advanced paternal age increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and gonadal germ cell tumor. The higher the order of birth of the children, the less the chance of developing any neoplasm.

Factors associated with abandonment of therapy by children diagnosed with solid tumors in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Abandonment of treatment is a major cause of treatment failure and poor survival in children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries. The incidence of treatment abandonment in Peru has not been reported. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with treatment abandonment by pediatric patients with solid tumors in Peru. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the sociodemographic and clinical data of children referred between January 2012 and December 2014 to the two main tertiary centers for childhood cancer in Peru. The definition of treatment abandonment followed the International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Paediatric Oncology in Developing Countries, Abandonment of Treatment recommendation. RESULTS: Data from 1135 children diagnosed with malignant solid tumors were analyzed, of which 209 (18.4%) abandoned treatment. Bivariate logistic regression analysis showed significantly higher abandonment rates in children living outside the capital city, Lima (forest; odds ratio [OR] 3.25; P < 0.001), those living in a rural setting (OR 3.44; P < 0.001), and those whose parent(s) lacked formal employment (OR 4.39; P = 0.001). According to cancer diagnosis, children with retinoblastoma were more likely to abandon treatment compared to children with other solid tumors (OR 1.79; P = 0.02). In multivariate regression analyses, rural origin (OR 2.02; P = 0.001) and lack of formal parental employment (OR 2.88; P = 0.001) were independently predictive of abandonment. CONCLUSION: Treatment abandonment prevalence of solid tumors in Peru is high and closely related to sociodemographical factors. Treatment outcomes could be substantially improved by strategies that help prevent abandonment of therapy based on these results.

Factores pronósticos y sobrevida en pacientes menores de 18 años con tumores de la familia del sarcoma de Ewing: experiencia de 10 años / Prognostic factors and survival in patients under 18 years of age with Ewing sarcoma family tumors: a 10-year experience

Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas y epidemiológicas, y determinar los factores pronósticos, sobrevida libre de evento (SLE) y sobrevida global (SG) de los pacientes con tumores de la familia del Sarcoma de Ewing (TFSE). Materiales y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo llevado a cabo en pacientes menores de 18 años con TFSE, atendidos en la Unidad de Oncología Pediátrica y del Adolescente del Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati entre 2006 y 2016. El análisis descriptivo se realizó mediante distribución de frecuencias. Para el análisis de SLE y SG se utilizaron las curvas de Kaplan-Meier. Se efectuó un análisis univariado y multivariado según modelo de regresión de Cox para variables demográficas, clínicas y quirúrgicas, y factores pronósticos. La medida de fuerza de asociación se expresó en hazard ratio (HR) e intervalo de confianza al 95% (IC 95%), y se consideró p<0.05 para diferencias significativas. Resultados: Se presentaron 29 casos de TFSE. La mediana de edad fue de 9 años (rango 2-17), el 55% fueron varones. La localización más frecuente fue la pelvis (31%). El 59% presentaron metástasis al diagnóstico. La SLE a 3 años en TFSE localizados fue del 40.4% (±14.4 EE) y con metástasis, 14.6% (±12.2, EE). La SG a 3 años en TFSE localizados fue del 53.9% (±17.8 EE) y en enfermedad metastásica, 15.1 % (±9.7, EE). El tamaño tumoral ≥5cm (HR 14.84, p=0.01) y la presencia de metástasis al debut (HR 3.23, p=0.01) fueron factores pronósticos independientes de peor SG. No hubo diferencia significativa en relación con el pronóstico según el sexo, edad, tipo histológico, compromiso de los bordes quirúrgicos o localización del tumor. Conclusiones: Los TFSE son altamente agresivos. Los factores pronósticos que contribuyen a una menor SLE y SG son la presencia de metástasis al debut de la enfermedad y un tamaño tumoral ≥5cm.

Objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics, and to determine prognostic factors, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with Ewing sarcoma family tumors (ESFT). Materials and methods: A retrospective study conducted in patients under 18 years of age with ESFT, treated at the Unit of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology of the Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati between January 2006 and June 2016. The descriptive analysis was performed by frequency distribution. Kaplan-Meier curves were used for EFS and OS analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed according to the Cox regression model for demographic, clinical and surgical variables, and prognostic factors. The measure of strength of association was expressed in hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI), and p<0.05 was considered for significant differences. Results: There were 29 cases of ESFT. The median age was 9 years (range 2-17), 55% were males. The most frequent location was the pelvis (31%). Fifty-nine percent (59%) had metastasis at diagnosis. The 3-year EFS in localized ESTF was 40.4% (± 14.4 EE) and with metastasis was 14.6% (± 12.2, EE). The 3-year OS in localized ESTF was 53.9% (± 17.8 EE) and with metastatic disease was 15.1% (± 9.7, EE). The tumor size ≥5cm (HR 14.84, p=0.01) and the presence of metastasis at the onset of the disease (HR 3.23, p=0.01) were independent prognostic factors of worse OS. There was no significant difference in prognosis regarding the gender, age, histological type, involvement of surgical borders or location of the tumor. Conclusions: ESFT are highly aggressive. The prognostic factors that contribute to a lower EFS and OS are the presence of metastasis at the onset of the disease and a tumor size ≥5cm.

Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Lymphocyte Recovery: Independent Prognostic Factors for Survival in Pediatric Sarcomas.

BACKGROUND: Pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) recovery have been shown to be associated with prognosis in several types of cancer in adults. However, evidence in pediatric cancer is scarce. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether pretreatment NLR and lymphocyte recovery are prognostic factors in pediatric sarcomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study participants were identified from a retrospective cohort of 100 children with osteosarcoma (n=55), rhabdomyosarcoma (n=22), and Ewing sarcoma (n=23). Data for the hematological variables were obtained from medical records and analyzed with other known prognostic factors in univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, NLR>2 was an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with osteosarcoma (hazard ratio [HR], 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-5.30; P=0.046) along with metastatic disease and poor histologic response; as well as in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (HR, 4.76, 95% CI, 1.01-22.24; P=0.0237) along with metastatic disease and risk group. ALC recovery correlated for inferior OS in osteosarcoma (HR, 3.34, 95% CI, 1.37-8.12; P=0.008) and rhabdomyosarcoma (HR, 3.89; 95% CI, 1.01-14.89; P=0.0338). CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that NLR and ALC recovery are independent prognostic factors for pediatric sarcomas, implying an important role of immune system in survival. Clinical utility of these prognostic biomarkers should be validated in larger pediatric studies.

Factors associated with the latency to diagnosis of childhood cancer in Peru.

BACKGROUND: The latency to diagnosis is the time between the detection of a patient's first symptoms and the cancer diagnosis. The aim of this study was to identify the latency to the diagnosis of cancer in children in Peru and the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with this latency. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with lymphoma and solid tumors between 2012 and 2014 at a social security referral hospital in Peru were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical and demographic variables were analyzed to assess their association with the latency to diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 284 patients younger than 18 years of age were included in the study. The median time to diagnosis was 8.8 weeks, with a median patient interval of 2 weeks and diagnostic interval of 4.4 weeks. We found significant differences in the latency to diagnosis for different types of cancer (longer for Hodgkin lymphoma and shorter for Wilms tumor). Older children had significantly longer latencies to diagnosis (P = 0.048; OR: 1.05, 95% CI [1.0-1.1]), as did children who were first diagnosed by a general physician rather than by a pediatrician or surgeon (P = 0.028; OR: 2.1, 95% CI [1.1-4.2]). Parental age, level of education, marital status, metastatic disease, clinical stage, and gender did not significantly affect latency to diagnosis as analyzed by a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In Peru, median latency to diagnosis was comparable to that described in developing countries, where the index of suspicion for childhood cancer remains low. It is crucial to establish strategies to optimize early diagnoses using associated factors.

Analysis of Prognostic Factors in High-Grade Osteosarcoma of the Extremities in Children: A 15-Year Single-Institution Experience.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this retrospective study was to define clinical and pathological features and prognostic factors among children and adolescents diagnosed with high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremities. METHODS: A total of 73 patients younger than 18 years diagnosed with primary osteosarcoma of the extremities between January 1998 and December 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Prognostic factors, such as age, gender, primary tumor site, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase levels, metastatic disease, pathological fracture, histological response, and surgery type, were analyzed to evaluate their effects on overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS). RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 30 months (1.5-152), OS and EFS at 5 years were 64.5 ± 8.1 and 48.5 ± 8.7% for patients with localized disease; and 16.2 ± 7.9 and 14.4 ± 7.3% for patients with initial metastatic disease, respectively. In patients with localized disease, conservative surgery was performed on 22 of 46 patients (43.5%), and there was no significant difference in survival rates among patients who had conservative vs. radical surgery (p = 0.65). Although tumor size (>12 cm) was significant prognostic factor in univariate analysis; multivariate analysis identified elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.033) and poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p < 0.001) only as independent prognostic factors. Age, histological type, pathological fracture, and primary tumor site did not significantly affect prognosis. CONCLUSION: Initial elevated presence of alkaline phosphatase in serum and poor histological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were significant factors for unfavorable prognosis. It is necessary to optimize staging and treatment intensification to improve survival rates, especially among patients with metastasis at initial presentation.

[Colorectal cancer in children: report of three cases]. / Cáncer colorrectal en niños: reporte de tres casos.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is extremely infrequent in children and adolescents. There is little information about this entity, mainly case reports and review articles. We describe three cases of children with poor-differentiated colorectal carcinoma and advanced disease at onset. The presenting symptoms were abdominal pain and constipation, with a median of latency of symptoms of 4-48 months. None of these patients had operable disease at onset; having a disease progression despite therapy in two cases. This study reaffirms poor prognosis of pediatric CRC, probably due to an aggressive tumoral biology and advanced stage at diagnosis. Therapeutic guidelines are based in adult treatment; therefore, efforts should be made to improve tools in early diagnosis and future therapies for a better survival in childhood.

Cáncer colorrectal en niños: reporte de tres casos / Colorectal cancer in children: report of three cases

El cáncer colorrectal (CCR) es extremadamente infrecuente en niños y adolescentes. Existe poca literatura publicada sobre esta entidad, principalmente de reportes de casos y artículos de revisión. Reportamos tres casos de niños con carcinoma de colon de histología poco diferenciada y enfermedad avanzada al momento del diagnóstico. La sintomatología más común fue el dolor abdominal y estreñimiento con una latencia de síntomas de 4 a 48 meses. Ningún paciente fue operable al debut; presentando progresión de enfermedad a pesar del tratamiento en dos casos. Este estudio reafirma el pobre pronóstico del CCR pediátrico, probablemente debido a factores como una biología tumoral agresiva y estadio avanzado al debut. Las directrices terapéuticas están basadas en manejo de adultos, aunque es necesario mejorar las herramientas de diagnóstico y las terapias que incrementen la sobrevida en niños y adolescentes.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is extremely infrequent in children and adolescents. There is little information about this entity, mainly case reports and review articles. We describe three cases of children with poor-differentiated colorectal carcinoma and advanced disease at onset. The presenting symptoms were abdominal pain and constipation, with a median of latency of symptoms of 4-48 months. None of these patients had operable disease at onset; having a disease progression despite therapy in two cases. This study reaffirms poor prognosis of pediatric CRC, probably due to an aggressive tumoral biology and advanced stage at diagnosis. Therapeutic guidelines are based in adult treatment; therefore, efforts should be made to improve tools in early diagnosis and future therapies for a better survival in childhood.

Rabdomiosarcoma alveolar de patrón sólido nasal, a propósito de un caso / Pattern alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma nasal solid, on the subject of a case

El rabdomiosarcoma (RMS) es considerado el sarcoma infantil más frecuente, y se origina a partir de células precursoras mesenquimatosas embrionarias del músculo estriado. El compromiso cutáneo se da por metástasis o por invasión local y es poco frecuente. El 41% de los RMS en los niños se localiza en cabeza y cuello, y las formas embrionaria y alveolar son las variantes más frecuentes. Presentamos un caso de RMS nasal de rápido crecimiento variante alveolar de patrón sólido, debido a la presentación en edad temprana para esta variante (AU)

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is one of the most common pediatric sarcoma, originated of the mesenquimal embryonal smooth muscle precursor cells.This tumor is unusual, when it involves the skin is by metastasis or local invasion. 41% of the pediatric RMS occurs in the head and neck.The alveolar and embryonal forms are the most common variants.We report a case of RMS alveolar form of solid pattern with rapid growth on nasal area (AU)