Medical and pediatric oncology
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Med. Pediatr. Oncol. · Jul 1999
ReviewPsychosocial aspects of infertility and decisions about reproduction in young cancer survivors: a review.
Several types of cancer treatment interfere with male and female fertility or can complicate pregnancy. Rates of birth defects and cancer have also been studied in the offspring of cancer survivors. Little is known, however, about the impact of a history of cancer on survivors' attitudes, anxieties, and choices about having children of their own. ⋯ Research on the emotional aspects of infertility after cancer and on the factors that influence survivors' decisions about having children assumes increasing importance with the growth in number of survivors of reproductive age.
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Med. Pediatr. Oncol. · Feb 1999
High-dose chemotherapy followed by peripheral blood stem cell rescue for metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma: the experience at Chicago Children's Memorial Hospital.
Because outcome for metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma remains poor with standard therapy, and because some patients with extensive unresectable metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma are unable to tolerate standard therapy with the associated large radiation fields, peripheral blood stem cell rescue (PBSCR) following high-dose chemotherapy was offered as consolidative therapy for patients with Stage 4/Group IV rhabdomyosarcoma. ⋯ These results, along with the existing literature, show no advantage of high-dose chemotherapy followed by PBSCR as consolidative therapy for patients with Stage 4/Group IV rhabdomyosarcoma over standard dose chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. For patients with extensive, unresectable disease at diagnosis who cannot receive radiation to all areas of disease based on concerns of marrow reserve, high-dose chemotherapy followed by PBSCR does not appear to provide adequate local control and cannot be offered as curative therapy.
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Med. Pediatr. Oncol. · Jan 1999
Systemizing childhood cancer care in Hungary: twenty-five years of progress.
Steady and significant progress has been made in the organization of Hungarian pediatric oncology. This has been done through the mobilization of social, scientific, medical, and economic resources of Hungary, a small nation. The lessons learned, and the measures adopted, may prove useful to other countries facing similar limitations and problems.
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Med. Pediatr. Oncol. · Jan 1998
Evaluation of follow-up investigations in osteosarcoma patients: suggestions for an effective follow-up program.
Follow-up programs for cancer patients aim at improving the overall prognosis by early detection of relapse. In this study, follow-up data from 72 osteosarcoma patients were received in order to determine the value of clinical examination (CE), lung CT-scan (CTL), chest X-ray (CXR), local X-ray (LXR), and bone scintigraphy (BS) in the detection of tumor recurrence. ⋯ To improve efficacy of follow-up programs and to reduce radiation load of nonrelapsed patients, the prognosis of patients with lung metastases or local recurrences and the time of high risk for a relapse should be taken into consideration. Since the number of patients who benefit from relapse therapy is still low, it remains to be shown whether an increased frequency of lung CT-scans or MRIs of the primary tumor site will improve early detection of relapse; and if so, whether that will enhance the chance for successful relapse treatment. CXR, CTL and CE should be performed routinely for at least 3 years after completion of therapy or relapse diagnosis. In contrast, BS and LXR appear not to be useful as routine investigations.