Radiation Therapy to the Whole Brain and Spine, Followed by an Extra Dose of Radiation to the Back of the Brain

Medulloblastoma is a rare but devastating brain cancer in children. The cancer can spread through the spinal fluid and deposit elsewhere in the brain or spine. Radiation therapy to the whole brain and spine, followed by an extra dose of radiation to the back of the brain, prevented this spread and became the standard of care. However, radiation used to treat such tumors causes damage to the brain and impairs cognitive function. It affects, especially in young patients whose brains are growing. Keywords: Cancer; Cells; Tissues; Tumors; Prevention; Prognosis; Diagnosis; Imaging; Screening, Treatment; Management

Pediatric Brain Tumors Diagnosis and Treatment

Meduloblastoma is a rare but devastating brain cancer in children. The cancer can spread through the spinal fluid and deposit elsewhere in the brain or spine. Radiation therapy to the whole brain and spine, followed by an extra dose of radiation to the back of the brain, prevented this spread and became the standard of care. However, radiation used to treat such tumors causes damage to the brain and impairs cognitive function. It affects, especially in young patients whose brains are growing. Keywords: Cancer; Cells; Tissues, Tumors; Prevention, Prognosis; Diagnosis; Imaging; Screening; Treatment; Management

Triple-negative breast cancer in children: a case report

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is often considered a breast tumor with a poor prognosis that lacks or decreases the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). It tends to occur in middle-aged and older women, and cases of TNBC in children are rarely reported. Methods We report a case of basal-like TNBC in a child at our hospital and review the related literature. Results Based on the patient's condition we performed a local mass excision, and despite the postoperative pathological diagnosis of TNBC, this case of basic TNBC had a good prognosis and was very different from conventional basic TNBC in many ways. Conclusions Although secretory breast cancer is a subtype of basal-like TNBC, it has its peculiarities and is completely different from basal-like TNBC. There is a need to raise awareness of the disease, select individualized treatment options, and prevent medical errors.

Cancer in Children With Fanconi Anemia and Ataxia-Telangiectasia—A Nationwide Register-Based Cohort Study in Germany

PURPOSE Fanconi anemia (FA) and ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) are rare inherited syndromes characterized by abnormal DNA damage response and caused by pathogenic variants in key DNA repair proteins that are also relevant in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and other cancer types. The risk of cancer in children with these diseases is poorly understood and has never been assessed in a population-based cohort before. METHODS We identified 421 patients with FA and 160 patients with AT diagnosed between 1973 and 2020 through German DNA repair disorder reference laboratories. We linked patients' laboratory data with childhood cancer data from the German Childhood Cancer Registry. RESULTS Among 421 patients with FA, we observed 33 cases of childhood cancer (15 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome; seven cases of acute myeloid leukemia; two cases of lymphoma, carcinoma, medulloblastoma, and nephroblastoma, respectively; and one case of rhabdomyosarcoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and glioma, respectively) versus 0.74 expected (on the basis of population-based incidence rates in Germany). This corresponds to a 39-fold increased risk (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 39; 95% CI, 26 to 56). For all FA subgroups combined, the cancer-specific SIR for myeloid neoplasms was 445 (95% CI, 272 to 687). Among the 160 patients with AT, we observed 19 cases of childhood cancer (15 cases of lymphoma, three cases of leukemia, and one case of medulloblastoma) versus 0.32 expected. This corresponds to a 56-fold increased risk (SIR = 56; 95% CI, 33 to 88). The cancer-specific SIR for Hodgkin lymphoma was 215 (95% CI, 58 to 549) and for non-Hodgkin lymphoma 470 (95% CI, 225 to 865). CONCLUSION Approximately 11% of patients with FA and 14% of patients with AT develop cancer by age 18 years.

Detecting RB1 gene mutations in retinoblastoma tumour of patients in Northern Vietnam in 2020

Retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer in children, is mostly caused by inactivating mutations of both copies of the RB1gene. Early diagnosis and identification ofRB1 gene mutations would improve treatment outcomes and patients’ management. This study was performed on 10 tumour samples of retinoblastoma patients using the direct sequencing technique. 11 different mutations were found in 9 out of 10 tumour samples, including 6 nonsense mutations, 1 missense mutation, 1 splice site mutation, and 3 frameshift mutations with 1 novel mutation that has not been reported before. The MLPA method was required to identify large deletion mutations in the RB1gene and the study on more samples to provide a picture of RB1 gene mutations in Vietnamese retinoblastoma patients

Prognostic possibilities of molecular genetic testing for assessing the risk of recurrence of papillary thyroid cancer in children

The assessment of aggressiveness and risk of death in papillary thyroid cancer in children is currently based on clinical criteria. To ensure a more accurate risk stratification, new criteria and various molecular genetic markers are constantly being sought. The article studied the dependence of the clinical and pathological manifestations of papillary thyroid cancer in children on the level of expression of various microRNAs and the presence of the BRAF mutation. It was found that the BRAF mutation was present in 20.4% of cases, while the dependence of the clinical behavior of cancer on the BRAF mutation was not established. Of the 14 microRNAs studied, statistical differences were obtained for oncogenic miR-146b, -221, -31, and oncosuppressive miR-144, which correlated with signs such as extrathyroid tumor growth, multi-focus, and metastasis to the neck lymph nodes.