• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.9
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• pp.401-406
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• 2013

Purpose: We performed a pilot study to determine the benefit of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (HDCT/autoPBSCT) for patients with Ewing sarcoma family of tumors. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who received HDCT/autoPBSCT at Korea Cancer Center Hospital. Patients with relapsed, metastatic, or centrally located tumors were eligible for the study. Results: A total of 9 patients (3 male, 6 female), with a median age at HDCT/autoPBSCT of 13.4 years (range, 7.1 to 28.2 years), were included in this study. Patients underwent conventional chemotherapy and local control either by surgery or radiation therapy, and had achieved complete response (CR, n=7), partial response (n=1), or stable disease (n=1) prior to HDCT/autoPBSCT. There was no transplant-related mortality. However, the median duration of overall survival and event-free survival after HDCT/autoPBSCT were 13.3 months (range, 5.3 to 44.5 months) and 6.2 months (range, 2.1 to 44.5 months), respectively. At present, 4 patients are alive and 5 patients who experienced adverse events (2 metastasis, 2 local recur, and 1 progressive disease) survived for a median time of 2.8 months (range, 0.1 to 10.7 months). The 2-year survival after HDCT/autoPBSCT was $44.4%{\pm}16.6%$ and disease status at the time of HDCT/autoPBSCT tended to influence survival ($57.1%{\pm}18.7%$ of cases with CR vs. 0% of cases with non-CR, P=0.07). Conclusion: Disease status at HDCT/autoPBSCT tended to influence survival. Further studies are necessary to define the role of HDCT/autoPBSCT and to identify subgroup of patients who might benefit from this investigational treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.882-888
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• 2006

Purpose : Bacteremia is one of the major concerns in the treatment of pediatric cancer patients. This study was to determine the etiologic agents and the pattern of antibiotic susceptibilities in a single tertiary medical center. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the cases of bacteremia in pediatric cancer patients from 1998 to 2005 in Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Results : There were 62 cases of bacteremia from 44 patients. Gram-positive organisms(48.3%) were more common than gram-negative organisms(38.7%) or fungi(13%). Among gram-positive organisms, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common etiologic agent(63.3%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus(16.7%), ${\alpha}$-hemolytic Streptococcus(16.7%), and Streptococcus mitis(3.3%). Among gram-negative organisms, Alcaligenes xylosoxidans was the most common agent(41.7%) and the other organisms were Klebsiella pneumoniae(20.8%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(12.5%), Acinetobacter baumanii(8.2%), etc. In febrile neutropenic patients, however, K. pneumoniae was the most common cause of gram-negative bacteremia. All of the isolated K. pneumoniae in our center produced extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and were related with high mortality. S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and Streptococcus species were all susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplanin. Most staphylococci were resistant to penicillin and oxacillin. Most of the gram-negative organisms were susceptible to imipenem. Conclusion : Gram-positive organisms were more commonly isolated than gram-negative organisms in pediatric cancer patients like other studies. We could obtained valuable information on the choice of proper antibiotics in our institution. Further studies will be needed to explain the prevalence of A. xylosoxidans in our center.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.172-179
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• 2016

Purpose: Bacillus cereus has been reported as the cause of nosocomial infections in cancer patients. In our pediatric cancer ward, a sudden rise in the number of patients with B. cereus bacteremia was observed in 2013 to 2014. This study was performed to investigate the molecular epidemiology of increased B. cereus bacteremia cases in our center. Methods: Pediatric cancer patients who developed B. cereus bacteremia were identified from January 2001 to June 2014. The B. cereus bacteremia in this study was defined as a case in which at least one B. cereus identified in blood cultures, regardless of true bacteremia. Available isolates were further tested by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis. A retrospective chart review was performed. Results: Nineteen patients developed B. cereus bacteremia during the study period. However, in 2013, a sudden increase in the number of patients with B. cereus bacteremia was observed. In addition, three patients developed B. cereus bacteremia within 1 week in July and the other three patients within 1 week in October, respectively, during emergency room renovation. However, MLST analysis revealed different sequence types without consistent patterns. Before 2013, five tested isolates were ST18, ST26, ST177, and ST147-like type, and ST219-like type. Isolates from 2013 were ST18, ST73, ST90, ST427, ST784, ST34-like type, and ST130-like type. Conclusions: MLST analyses showed variable ST distribution of B. cereus isolates. Based on this study, there was no significant evidence suggesting a true outbreak caused by a single ST among patients who developed B. cereus bacteremia.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.204-210
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• 1999

Purpose: We assessed the nutritional status and the alterations of oral diets during anti-cancer chemotherapy in pediatric oncology patients. Methods: Twenty children with malignancy were evaluated from day 0 until day 21 of post-chemotherapy. Nutritional status was assessed by body weight and biochemical parameters. The amount and calories of oral diets were assessed and food preference before and during chemotherapy were analysed by questionnelle. Results: 1) The underlying diseases of 20 patients were 11 acute lymphoblastic lekemia, 2 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 2 Langerhans cell histiocytosis, 2 Wilm's tumor, 2 brain tumor, 1 rhabdomyosarcoma. 2) There were weight loss during chemotherapy in 8 patients (40.0%), weigt gain in 5 patients (25.0%), and no significant changes in 7 patients (35.0%). 3) Biochemical parameters showed no significant interval changes during chemotherapy except elevation of serum ALT level. 4) The daily caloric intakes of oral diets during chemotherapy were 310~600 Kcal which was much lower than average of daily recommended calory for Korean children. 5) The most favorate food was altered by chemotherapy, from meats to carbonated beverages and unfavorate food was not altered as vegetables. Conclusion: The periodic assessment of nutritional status and dietary supplements according to preferred foods of patients will be required for the optimal nutrition care in cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2020

Background/Objectives: To analyze the clinical characteristics of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in children and adolescents. Materials & Methods: Medical records of 31 DTC cases that were diagnosed and treated at Korea Cancer Center Hospital between 2002 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Most cases were papillary carcinoma (n=26), with female predominance (n=25). Median age was 16.4 years (range, 11.9-18.6 years). Extrathyroidal extension was present in 24 cases. Twenty cases had tumor involvement at cervical lymph nodes and three had lung metastasis. Twenty-two patients received radioactive iodide treatment with a median cumulative dose of 300 mCi (range, 100-920 mCi). During a median follow-up of 68.2 months (range, 2.3-191.4 months), serum thyroglobulin level was elevated in 15 patients. Among them, two cases had remnant thyroid tissue, 4 had recurrence at cervical lymph nodes, and the remaining 9 did not have any detectable lesion. All were alive, and 5-year event-free survival (EFS) was 45.2±10.1%. Age £15 years, tumor size, lymph node status (N1b), and distant metastasis had negative effects on EFS. On multivariate analysis, age and tumor size had prognostic significance. Conclusion: For DTC of children and adolescents (£18 years old), age ≤15 years and tumor size were prognostic factor. Therefore, patients in this age group need meticulous follow-up. Further studies are necessary to answer the potential influence of age on the incidence and behavior of DTC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1211-1217
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• 2014

Background: Cancer in infants younger than one year of age represents a unique problem with distinct epidemiological, clinical and genetic characteristics compared with older age groups. No report is yet available from Iran regarding epidemiological and survival rate of cancers diagnosed in this age group. Materials and Methods: The population under study comprised of patients which were diagnosed and admitted to Ali-Asghar hospital between years 1996-2005. In total, 287 infants were included in the retrospective descriptive survey. Patient files were evaluated for age of patient at the time of diagnosis, sex, geographical residence, consanguinity of parents, histological diagnosis, site of cancer involvement, type of therapy, date of last follow-up and cause of death (if applicable). Results: The average age at the time of diagnosis was 7.2 months old. The most frequent malignancy was retinoblastoma (44%), followed by leukemia (19%) and neuroblastoma (10%), with five-year overall survival rates of 77.7%, 41% and 90%, respectively Parents of 40 infants (13.9%) had consanguinity relationships. Conclusions: Although we cannot make any conclusions regarding the incidence of infant cancer subtypes based on this study, survival rates for major types were similar to the developed countries, which signifies strict adherence to standards of care in Ali-Asghar hospital, the main infant cancer care centre in Iran. A Childhood Cancer Registry with high-resolution data collection and also advanced genetic testing is advocated for in-depth analysis of variation in incidence and survival.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.601-605
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• 2007

The cure rate of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children dramatically improved over past 5 decades from zero to about 80%. The main cause of improvement is owing to the development of chemotherapy by multicenter clinical trial of large study groups with the understanding of leukemia biology. Recently, pediatric ALL protocols were applied to the treatment of adolescent and even adult ALL patients. For nearly 30 years, clinical factors have been used to risk-stratify therapy for children with ALL, so that the most intensive therapies are reserved for those patients at the highest risk of relapse. The risk groups of ALL are divided as standard- (low- plus intermediate-), high- and very high-risk group according to the prognostic factors, and treatment results improved by this risk based treatment. The factors used to risk-stratify therapy include age, gender, presenting leukocyte count, immunophenotype, cytogenetic aberrations including ploidy and translocations, and initial response after 1 to 2 weeks of therapy. But treatment efficacy is the most important determinant and can abolish the clinical significance of most, if at all, prognostic factors. Today, in the era of intensive, multiagent regimens, there is increasing evidence that we have reached the limits of prognostic significance of currently applied clinical risk factors in childhood ALL. As the cure rate of ALL is about 80%, introducing new prognostic factors such as new molecular prognostic markers, new methods of assessment about minimal residual disease, and pharmacogenetic study, with the development of stem cell transplantation and molecular targeted therapy are needed to cure residual 20% of childhood ALL patients without short and long term complications.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.11
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• pp.415-421
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• 2020

Cryptorchidism or undescended testis is the single most common genitourinary disease in male neonates. In most cases, the testes will descend spontaneously by 3 months of age. If the testes do not descend by 6 months of age, the probability of spontaneous descent thereafter is low. About 1%-2% of boys older than 6 months have undescended testes after their early postnatal descent. In some cases, a testis vanishes in the abdomen or reascends after birth which was present in the scrotum at birth. An inguinal undescended testis is sometimes mistaken for an inguinal hernia. A surgical specialist referral is recommended if descent does not occur by 6 months, undescended testis is newly diagnosed after 6 months of age, or testicular torsion is suspected. International guidelines do not recommend ultrasonography or other diagnostic imaging because they cannot add diagnostic accuracy or change treatment. Routine hormonal therapy is not recommended for undescended testis due to a lack of evidence. Orchiopexy is recommended between 6 and 18 months at the latest to protect the fertility potential and decrease the risk of malignant changes. Patients with unilateral undescended testis have an infertility rate of up to 10%. This rate is even higher in patients with bilateral undescended testes, with intra-abdominal undescended testis, or who underwent delayed orchiopexy. Patients with undescended testis have a threefold increased risk of testicular cancer later in life compared to the general population. Self-examination after puberty is recommended to facilitate early cancer detection. A timely referral to a surgical specialist and timely surgical correction are the most important factors for decreasing infertility and testicular cancer rates.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.123-128
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• 2015

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent primary bone tumor. Advances in combination chemotherapy and surgical technique have greatly improved the survival of patients with osteosarcoma. In Korea, improvements in osteosarcoma treatment have been made over the past two decades. The 5-year event-free survival rate of Korean children and adolescents with localized disease is 64.6%, comparable to that of American or European patients. This article provides an overview of current therapies for osteosarcoma in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.592-607
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• 2021

Objective : Few studies exist on primary spinal cord tumors (PSCTs) in pediatric patients. The purpose of this study was to perform descriptive analysis and detailed survival analysis for PSCTs. Methods : Between 1985 and 2017, 126 pediatric patients (male : female, 56 : 70) with PSCTs underwent surgery in a single institution. We retrospectively analyzed data regarding demographics, tumor characteristics, outcomes, and survival statistics. Subgroup analysis was performed for the intramedullary (IM) tumors and extradural (ED) tumors separately. Results : The mean age of the participants was 6.4±5.04 years, and the mean follow-up time was 69.5±46.30 months. The most common compartment was the ED compartment (n=57, 45.2%), followed by the IM (n=43, 34.1%) and intradural extramedullary (IDEM; n=16, 12.7%) compartments. Approximately half of PSCTs were malignant (n=69, 54.8%). The most common pathologies were schwannomas (n=14) and neuroblastomas (n=14). Twenty-two patients (17.5%) died from the disease, with a mean disease duration of 15.8±15.85 months. Thirty-six patients (28.6%) suffered from progression, with a mean period of 22.6±30.81 months. The 10-year overall survival (OS) rates and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 81% and 66%, respectively. Regarding IM tumors, the 10-year OS rates and PFS rates were 79% and 57%, respectively. In ED tumors, the 10-year OS rates and PFS rates were 80% and 81%, respectively. Pathology and the extent of resection showed beneficial effects on OS for total PSCTs, IM tumors, and ED tumors. PFS was affected by both the extent of removal and pathology in total PSCTs and ED tumors; however, pathology was a main determinant of PFS rather than the extent of removal in IM tumors. The degree of improvement in the modified McCormick scale showed a trend towards improvement in patients with IM tumors who achieved gross total removal (p=0.447). Conclusion : Approximately half of PSCTs were malignant, and ED tumors were most common. The most common pathologies were schwannomas and neuroblastomas. Both the pathology and extent of resection had a decisive effect on OS. For IM tumors, pathology was a main determinant of PFS rather than the extent of removal. Radical excision of IM tumors could be a viable option for better survival without an increased risk of worse functional outcomes.