Management and Outcomes of Wilms Tumor With Suprarenal Intravascular Extension: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe management and outcomes from a contemporary cohort of children with Wilms tumor complicated by inferior vena caval thrombus. BACKGROUND: The largest series of these patients was published almost 2 decades ago. Since then, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been commonly used to manage these patients, and outcomes have not been reported. METHODS: Retrospective review of 19 North American centers between 2009 and 2019. Patient and disease characteristics, management, and outcomes were investigated and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 124 patients, 81% had favorable histology (FH), and 52% were stage IV. IVC thrombus level was infrahepatic in 53 (43%), intrahepatic in 32 (26%), suprahepatic in 14 (11%), and cardiac in 24 (19%). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy using a 3-drug regimen was administered in 82% and postresection radiation in 90%. Thrombus level regression was 45% overall, with suprahepatic level showing the best response (62%). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was potentially avoided in 67%. The perioperative complication rate was significantly lower after neoadjuvant chemotherapy [(25%) vs upfront surgery (55%); P =0.005]. CPB was not associated with higher complications [CPB (50%) vs no CPB (27%); P =0.08]. Two-year event-free survival was 93% and overall survival was 96%, higher in FH cases (FH 98% vs unfavorable histology/anaplastic 82%; P =0.73). Neither incomplete resection nor viable thrombus cells affected event-free survival or overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal therapy resulted in excellent outcomes, even with advanced-stage disease and cardiac extension. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy decreased the need for CPB to facilitate resection. Complete thrombectomy may not always be necessary.

Impact of Genomic and Clinical Factors on Outcome of Children ≥18 Months of Age with Stage 3 Neuroblastoma with Unfavorable Histology and without MYCN Amplification: A Children's Oncology Group (COG) Report.

PURPOSE: Patients ≥18 months of age with International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) stage 3 unfavorable histology (UH), MYCN-nonamplified (MYCN-NA) tumors have favorable survival rates compared with other high-risk neuroblastoma populations. The impact of select clinical and biological factors on overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were evaluated. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients enrolled on Children's Oncology Group (COG) A3973 (n = 34), ANBL0532 (n = 27), and/or biology protocol ANBL00B1 (n = 72) were analyzed. Tumors with available DNA (n = 65) and RNA (n = 42) were subjected to whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing. WES analyses and gene expression profiling were evaluated for their impact on survival. Multivariate analyses of EFS/OS using significant factors from univariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: 5-year EFS/OS for patients treated with high-risk therapy on A3973 and ANBL0532 were 73.0% ± 8.1%/87.9% ± 5.9% and 61.4% ± 10.2%/73.0% ± 9.2%, respectively (P = 0.1286 and P = 0.2180). In the A3973/ANBL0532 cohort, patients with less than partial response (PR; n = 5) at end-induction had poor outcomes (5-year EFS/OS: 0%/20.0% ± 17.9%. Univariate analyses of WES data revealed that subjects whose tumors had chromosome 1p or 11q loss/LOH and chromosome 5 or 9 segmental chromosomal aberrations had inferior EFS compared with those with tumors without these aberrations. Multivariate analysis revealed that 11q loss/LOH was an independent predictor of inferior OS [HR, 3.116 (95% confidence interval, 1.034-9.389), P = 0.0435]. CONCLUSIONS: Patients ≥18 months of age at diagnosis who had tumors with UH and MYCN-NA INSS stage 3 neuroblastoma assigned to high-risk therapy had an 81.6% ± 5.3% 5-year OS. Less than PR to induction therapy and chromosome 11q loss/LOH are independent predictors of inferior outcome and identify patients who should be eligible for future high-risk clinical trials.

N-myc-Mediated Translation Control Is a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Medulloblastoma.

Deregulation of neuroblastoma-derived myc (N-myc) is a leading cause of malignant brain tumors in children. To target N-myc-driven medulloblastoma, most research has focused on identifying genomic alterations or on the analysis of the medulloblastoma transcriptome. Here, we have broadly characterized the translatome of medulloblastoma and shown that N-myc unexpectedly drives selective translation of transcripts that promote protein homeostasis. Cancer cells are constantly exposed to proteotoxic stress associated with alterations in protein production or folding. It remains poorly understood how cancers cope with proteotoxic stress to promote their growth. Here, our data revealed that N-myc regulates the expression of specific components (∼5%) of the protein folding machinery at the translational level through the major cap binding protein, eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4E. Reducing eIF4E levels in mouse models of medulloblastoma blocked tumorigenesis. Importantly, targeting Hsp70, a protein folding chaperone translationally regulated by N-myc, suppressed tumor growth in mouse and human medulloblastoma xenograft models. These findings reveal a previously hidden molecular program that promotes medulloblastoma formation and identify new therapies that may have impact in the clinic. SIGNIFICANCE: Translatome analysis in medulloblastoma shows that N-myc drives selective translation of transcripts that promote protein homeostasis and that represent new therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Incidence and management of pleural effusions in patients with Wilms tumor: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative study.

Wilms tumor (WT) is the most common renal malignancy in children. Children with favorable histology WT achieve survival rates of over 90%. Twelve percent of patients present with metastatic disease, most commonly to the lungs. The presence of a pleural effusion at the time of diagnosis of WT may be noted on staging imaging; however, minimal data exist regarding the significance and prognostic importance of this finding. The objectives of our study are to identify the incidence of pleural effusions in patients with WT, and to determine the potential impact on oncologic outcomes. A multi-institutional retrospective review was performed from January 2009 to December 2019, including children with WT and a pleural effusion on diagnostic imaging treated at Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative (PSORC) participating institutions. Of 1259 children with a new WT diagnosis, 94 (7.5%) had a pleural effusion. Patients with a pleural effusion were older than those without (median 4.3 vs 3.5 years; P = .004), and advanced stages were more common (local stage III 85.9% vs 51.9%; P < .0001). Only 14 patients underwent a thoracentesis for fluid evaluation; 3 had cytopathologic evidence of malignant cells. Event-free and overall survival of all children with WT and pleural effusions was 86.2% and 91.5%, respectively. The rate and significance of malignant cells present in pleural fluid is unknown due to low incidence of cytopathologic analysis in our cohort; therefore, the presence of an effusion does not appear to necessitate a change in therapy. Excellent survival can be expected with current stage-specific treatment regimens.

Effects of Foliar Redox Status on Leaf Vascular Organization Suggest Avenues for Cooptimization of Photosynthesis and Heat Tolerance.

The interaction of heat stress with internal signaling networks was investigated through Arabidopsisthaliana mutants that were deficient in either tocopherols (vte1 mutant) or non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (NPQ; npq1, npq4, and npq1 npq4 mutants). Leaves of both vte1 and npq1 npq4 mutants that developed at a high temperature exhibited a significantly different leaf vascular organization compared to wild-type Col-0. Both mutants had significantly smaller water conduits (tracheary elements) of the xylem, but the total apparent foliar water-transport capacity and intrinsic photosynthetic capacity were similarly high in mutants and wild-type Col-0. This was accomplished through a combination of more numerous (albeit narrower) water conduits per vein, and a significantly greater vein density in both mutants relative to wild-type Col-0. The similarity of the phenotypes of tocopherol-deficient and NPQ-deficient mutants suggests that leaf vasculature organization is modulated by the foliar redox state. These results are evaluated in the context of interactions between redox-signaling pathways and other key regulators of plant acclimation to growth temperature, such as the C-repeat binding factor (CBF) transcription factors, several of which were upregulated in the antioxidant-deficient mutants. Possibilities for the future manipulation of the interaction between CBF and redox-signaling networks for the purpose of cooptimizing plant productivity and plant tolerance to extreme temperatures are discussed.