BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVECancer is one of the most primary causes of death for children. The study was to analyze the cancer incidence and mortality of children in urban districts of Guangzhou between 2000 and 2004, to explore the incidence regularity of pediatric cancers and to provide a reference for prevention and treatment of pediatric cancers.

METHODSThe data of cancer incidence and mortality of children during 2000-2004 were collected from Guangzhou Population-based Cancer Registry, and were calculated and analyzed.

RESULTSThe cancer incidence of children between 2000 and 2004 in Guangzhou was 17.91 per 100,000 (18.92 per 100,000 in males, 16.70 per 100,000 in females); the cancer mortality was 4.73 per 100,000 (4.65 per 100,000 in males, 4.83 per 100,000 in females). The incidence of lymphoid leukemia ranked first followed by cancer of central nervous system and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cancer incidence was 77.52 per 100 000 in children of less than one year old, 21.49 per 100,000 in 1-4 years, 9.66 per 100,000 in 5-9 years and 17.11 per 100 000 in 10-14 years, with significant difference among the four groups (Chi(2) = 307.602, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONLymphoid leukemia, cancer of central nervous system and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are the most common cancers in children. The children of 0-4 years old are the population with high cancer incidence.

Adolescent ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukemia, Lymphoid ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Male ; Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; mortality

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of women who were diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy at a tertiary academic hospital between 1995 and 2013. Maternal characteristics, gestational age at diagnosis, and type, stage, symptoms and signs of cancer for each patient were retrieved from the medical records. The cancer treatment, pregnancy management and the subsequent perinatal and maternal outcomes for each cancer were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 87 women were diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy (172.6 cases per 100,000 deliveries). The most common cancer was breast cancer (n=20), followed by gastrointestinal (n=17), hematologic (n=13), thyroid (n=11), central nervous system (n=7), cervical (n=7), ovarian (n=5), lung (n=3), and other cancers (n=4). Eighteen (20.7%) patients terminated their pregnancies. In the 69 (79.3%) patients who maintained their pregnancies, one patient miscarried and 34 patients delivered preterm. Of the preterm babies, 24 (70.6%) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and 3 (8.8%) of those expired. The maternal mortality rate was 31.0%, with highest rate seen with lung cancers (66.7%), followed by gastrointestinal (50.0%), central nervous system (50.0%), hematologic (30.8%), breast (25.0%), ovarian (20.0%) cervical (14.3%), and thyroid cancers (0%). CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics and outcome of cancer during pregnancy were highly variable depending on the type of cancer. However, timely diagnosis and appropriate management of cancer during pregnancy may improve both maternal and neonatal outcome.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Central Nervous System ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Maternal Mortality ; Medical Records ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland

OBJECT: It is reported that spontaneous subcortical intracerebral hemorrhage consists about 10 to 44% of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. Recently, spontaneous subcortical intracerebral hemorrhage due to the complication of the systemic disease has been increasing, and the selection of management strategy according to the cause of hemorrhage closely affected the management outcome. This study was designed to analyze the cause of spontaneous subcortical intracerebral hemorrhage and the outcome in order to establish the appropriate management strategy. SUBJECT: One hundred and seventy-nine cases of spontaneous subcortical intracerebral hemorrhage managed at Yonsei University Hospital from January 1998 to December 2000 were included in this study. Patients who suffered from subcortical intracerebral hemorrhage due to the ruptured intracranial aneurysm were excluded. The patient's sex, age, mental state on admission, neurologic condition, past history, systemic disease related to hemorrhage, location of hemorrhage, the diagnosis of intracranial or systemic disease, treatment methods, and clinical outcome were analyzed. Consciousness on admission was evaluated and scored based on Glasgow Coma Eye Motor Scale (GCEMS), which was the sum of eye response score and motor response score of the Glasgow Coma Scale. Patients were categorized into 4 groups according to GCEMS: Group 1 (10 points), Group 2 (8, 9 points), Group 3 (5-7 points), and Group 4 (2-4 points). The clinical outcome of the patient was evaluated based on Glasgow outcome scale (GOS). Differences in diagnostic procedure were present depending on the condition of the patients, thus the final diagnostic procedure was used to diagnose the reason behind bleeding. When accurate diagnosis was difficult to perform, the reasons with the highest likelihood were chosen. RESULTS: The patients corresponding to each group were as follow: 79 (44.1%) in Group 1, 35 (19.6%) in Group 2, 27 (15.1%) in Group 3, and 38 (21.2%) in Group 4. Fifty-five patients (30.7%) were hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, 45 patients (25.1%) had anticoagulant therapy and thrombocytopenia due to the systemic disease and bleeding diathesis after anticancer drug therapy, 23 patients (12.8%) had brain tumor including the metastatic tumor, 19 patients (10.6%) had arteriovenous malformation, 18 patients (10.1%) had postinfarct hemorrhages, 5 patients (2.8%) had infective endocarditis, 2 patients (1.1%) had cerebral vasculitis. Conservative treatment was done in 115 patients (64.2%), open craniotomy in 31 patients (17.3%), and catheter insertion in 33 patients (18.4%). Group 1 mainly had conservative treatment (58 patients, 73.4%), Group 2 and 3 had 12 patients (37.1%) and 16 patients (59.3%) each underwent open craniotomy respectively. In Group 4, conservative treatment was done for 24 patients (63.2%), and open craniotomy was done for only one patients among 14 patients treated surgically. Overall clinical outcome was: 77 patients (43.0%) in GOS 5, 21 (11.7%) in GOS 4, 14 (7.8%) in GOS 3, 11 (6.1%) in GOS 2, and 56 patients (31.3%) died. Poor neurological state (low GCEMS) on admission was closely related to mortality (Group 1, 7.6%; Group 2, 22.8%; Group 3, 45.0%; Group 4, 78.9%). CONCLUSION: The major causes of spontaneous subcortical intracerebral hemorrhage were hypertension, metastatic brain tumor, vascular malformation, and the bleeding tendency due to the systemic disease, complication of the anticancer drug, anticoagulant, and thrombolytics therapy. Conservative treatment could be considered for the patients with GCEMS 10, removal of hematoma by open craniotomy or catheter insertion for the patients with GCEMS 5-9, and the catheter insertion or deferring the active treatment could be considered for the patients with GCEMS 2-4.
Arteriovenous Malformations ; Brain Neoplasms ; Catheters ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Coma ; Consciousness ; Craniotomy ; Diagnosis ; Disease Susceptibility ; Drug Therapy ; Endocarditis ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Glasgow Outcome Scale ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive ; Mortality ; Thrombocytopenia ; Vascular Malformations ; Vasculitis, Central Nervous System

The benefits of radio-chemotherapy in HIV-negative primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas were analyzed in 40 patients, who received radiotherapy to the brain or craniospinal axis with the total dose of 4460-5940 cGy to the primary tumor. Radiotherapy was followed by systemic chemotherapy, mainly with the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (CHOP) regimen, in 16 of the patients. Follow-up ranged from four to 95 months with a median of 15 months. The relapse rate was 72.5%, and 83% of the relapses occurred within the radiation field. Median survival was 19 months and the two-year survival rate was 41%. Survival was significantly influenced by treatment method and radiation dose when measured by univariate analysis; median survival and the two-year survival rate was 29 months and 63% after radio-chemotherapy, while 13.5 month and 29% after radiotherapy alone (p= 0.027), and 22 months and 49% with doses of 50 Gy or more, but 12.5 months and 13% with doses less than 50 Gy (p=0.009). However, statistical significance was lost in multivariate analysis. These results might suggest the short-term efficacy of radio-chemotherapy, however, cautious observation is needed to confirm long-term effects.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents, Combined/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Agents, Combined/adverse effects ; Bleomycin/administration & dosage ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/therapy* ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/mortality ; Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin/administration & dosage ; Epirubicin/administration & dosage ; Female ; Human ; Lymphoma/therapy* ; Lymphoma/mortality ; Male ; Mechlorethamine/administration & dosage ; Methotrexate/administration & dosage ; Middle Age ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Prednisolone/administration & dosage ; Procarbazine/administration & dosage ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant/adverse effects ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Failure ; Vincristine/administration & dosage

This retrospective study investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) in survivors of childhood cancer from multiple institutions in Korea. A total of 102 patients from 11 institutions who developed SMN after childhood cancer treatment between 1998 and 2011 were retrospectively enrolled. The most common primary malignant neoplasms (PMNs) were central nervous system (CNS) tumors (n = 17), followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 16), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 13), and osteosarcoma (n = 12). The most common SMNs were therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs; acute myeloid leukemia [AML], 29 cases; myelodysplastic syndrome [MDS], 12 cases), followed by thyroid carcinomas (n = 15) and CNS tumors (n = 10). The median latency period was 4.9 years (range, 0.5-18.5 years). Among 45 patients with solid tumors defined as an SMN, 15 (33%) developed the lesion in a field previously subjected to radiation. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of patients with an SMN was 45% with a median follow-up time of 8.6 years. Patients with AML, MDS, and CNS tumors exhibited the poorest outcomes with 5-year OS rates of 18%, 33%, and 32%, respectively, whereas those with second osteosarcoma showed comparable outcomes (64%) to patients with primary counterpart and those with second thyroid carcinoma had a 100% OS rate. Further therapeutic efforts are recommended to improve the survival outcomes in patients with SMNs, especially in cases with t-MNs and CNS tumors.
Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/diagnosis/drug therapy/radiotherapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Disease-Free Survival ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis/epidemiology/mortality/therapy ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/diagnosis/epidemiology/mortality/therapy ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/*diagnosis/epidemiology/mortality/therapy ; Osteosarcoma/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Survival Rate ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Young Adult

This retrospective study investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) in survivors of childhood cancer from multiple institutions in Korea. A total of 102 patients from 11 institutions who developed SMN after childhood cancer treatment between 1998 and 2011 were retrospectively enrolled. The most common primary malignant neoplasms (PMNs) were central nervous system (CNS) tumors (n = 17), followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 16), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 13), and osteosarcoma (n = 12). The most common SMNs were therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs; acute myeloid leukemia [AML], 29 cases; myelodysplastic syndrome [MDS], 12 cases), followed by thyroid carcinomas (n = 15) and CNS tumors (n = 10). The median latency period was 4.9 years (range, 0.5-18.5 years). Among 45 patients with solid tumors defined as an SMN, 15 (33%) developed the lesion in a field previously subjected to radiation. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of patients with an SMN was 45% with a median follow-up time of 8.6 years. Patients with AML, MDS, and CNS tumors exhibited the poorest outcomes with 5-year OS rates of 18%, 33%, and 32%, respectively, whereas those with second osteosarcoma showed comparable outcomes (64%) to patients with primary counterpart and those with second thyroid carcinoma had a 100% OS rate. Further therapeutic efforts are recommended to improve the survival outcomes in patients with SMNs, especially in cases with t-MNs and CNS tumors.
Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/diagnosis/drug therapy/radiotherapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Disease-Free Survival ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis/epidemiology/mortality/therapy ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/diagnosis/epidemiology/mortality/therapy ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/*diagnosis/epidemiology/mortality/therapy ; Osteosarcoma/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Survival Rate ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Cheiro-oral-pedal syndrome is characterized by a unilateral or bilateral sensory disturbance in mouth corner and hand and/or foot, and associated with central nervous system disease. Causative diseases are cerebral infarction, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumor, migraine, etc. When related with cerebral infarction, it is known to have lacunar type pathology and favorable prognosis. But other pathogenic mechanism and poor prognosis is suggested. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 12 patients presented with cheiro-oral-pedal syndrome, who visited the department of neurology in Chosun University Hospital from September 2000 to August 2002. Cheiro-oral-pedal syndrome was diagnosed according to the clinical manifestations and brain MRI findings. We assessed neurological findings, brain MRI and MRA findings, duplex sonographic findings, risk factors of stroke and outcome of the patients. Followup period was 3-20 (mean 8) months. RESULTS: There were 12 patients (10 men, 2 women) with the age ranged from 45 to 80 (mean 57.8) years. Sensory loss on cheiro-oral area was present in 8 (66.7%) and on cheiro-oral-pedal area in 4 (33.3%). Responsible lesions were found in thalamus, capsulo-striatum, corona radiata, pons, and fronto-parietal cortex. Three patients had a major cerebral vascular abnormality on MRA. One had MCA stenosis, the other PCA stenosis and another distal ICA stenosis. Sensory symptoms had remained in all patient except one. In-hospital mortality and other neurological deficit at discharge were absent in all. CONCLUSIONS: Cheiro-oral syndrome has mixed pathogenic mechanism of small vessel disease and large vessel atherosclerosis and involves various sites. Paresthesia itself has bad prognosis but overall clinical course is benign.
Atherosclerosis ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Infarction ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Hand ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; Mouth ; Neurology ; Paresthesia ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Pathology ; Pons ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Thalamus ; Ultrasonography

Although Aspergillus endocarditis has rarely been reported, it can cause fatal complications in hematologic malignancy patients and allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients. We experienced two cases of aspergillus endocarditis developed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Case; A 19-year-old patient developed Aspergillus endocarditis after allogenic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation. He was treated with surgical intervention and liposomal amphotericin B. He died of recurred Aspergillus endocarditis and cerebral hemorrhage probably related with aspergillosis of central nervous system. Case 2; A 23-year-old patient developed invasive Aspergillus endocarditis after induction chemotherapy. Aspergillus endocarditis was successfully treated by surgical intervention and amphotericin B. He died of refractory neutropenic fever and sepsis after the third relapse of leukemia and repetitive chemotherapy. He probably had invasive pulmonary aspergillosis without evidence of endocarditis recurrence. Because the mortality of Aspergillus endocarditis is very high, early diagnosis and surgical intervention are very important for better outcome.
Amphotericin B ; Aspergillosis ; Aspergillus* ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Endocarditis* ; Fever ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Leukemia ; Mortality ; Osteomyelitis ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Recurrence ; Sepsis ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Transplantation ; Young Adult

Although Aspergillus endocarditis has rarely been reported, it can cause fatal complications in hematologic malignancy patients and allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients. We experienced two cases of aspergillus endocarditis developed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Case; A 19-year-old patient developed Aspergillus endocarditis after allogenic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation. He was treated with surgical intervention and liposomal amphotericin B. He died of recurred Aspergillus endocarditis and cerebral hemorrhage probably related with aspergillosis of central nervous system. Case 2; A 23-year-old patient developed invasive Aspergillus endocarditis after induction chemotherapy. Aspergillus endocarditis was successfully treated by surgical intervention and amphotericin B. He died of refractory neutropenic fever and sepsis after the third relapse of leukemia and repetitive chemotherapy. He probably had invasive pulmonary aspergillosis without evidence of endocarditis recurrence. Because the mortality of Aspergillus endocarditis is very high, early diagnosis and surgical intervention are very important for better outcome.
Amphotericin B ; Aspergillosis ; Aspergillus* ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Endocarditis* ; Fever ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Leukemia ; Mortality ; Osteomyelitis ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Recurrence ; Sepsis ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Transplantation ; Young Adult

The authors investigated objective response rate to high dose methotrexate (HDMTX)-based combination chemotherapy in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), and sought to identify factors that influence response to HDMTX-based combination therapy. Prospective observational analysis was performed on 52 PCNSL patients. All patients received HDMTX (3.5 g/m2) and vincristine (1.4 mg/m2/day) for one day during weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, and procarbazine (100 mg/m2/day) for one week during weeks 1, 5, and 9. Forty-one patients (78.8%) achieved complete or partial remission. Higher objective response rates were observed for patients with: 1) age < 60 yr; 2) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score of < 2; 3) low risk status as defined by the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group; 4) p53 positivity; 5) XBP-1 negativity; 6) MUM-1 negativity; and 7) homogenous gadolinium enhancement in MR images. Multivariate analysis showed that ECOG performance score of < 2, low risk, negativity for XBP-1, homogenous gadolinium enhancement by MRI, and response to chemotherapy were associated with longer overall survival. In particular, it is interesting to note that patients with a PCNSL that is homogenously enhanced by gadolinium have a higher objective response rate, and a longer progression-free survival and overall survival.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/*therapeutic use ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/*drug therapy/mortality ; Contrast Media/chemistry/diagnostic use ; DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gadolinium/chemistry/diagnostic use ; Humans ; Interferon Regulatory Factors/metabolism ; Lymphoma/*drug therapy/mortality ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Methotrexate/*administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Procarbazine/*administration & dosage ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Severity of Illness Index ; Transcription Factors/metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism ; Vincristine/*administration & dosage