Lecture 22: Pediatric Oncology Flashcards
The 4th leading cause of death in children is…
Cancer
:(
Overall, the MC malignancy seen in children, comprising 1/3 of all pediatric cancers, is….
ALL (Acute lymphoblastic leukemia)
ALL is diagnosed by having greater than ()% blasts in the bone marrow aspirate.
25% lymphoblasts or more!
You have a 4 yo white boy who has intermittent fevers, bone pain, and bruises easily. On physical exam, you notice hepatosplenomegaly. His CBC shows anemia with an ANC < 1000. Lymphoblasts are seen on his peripheral smear. You suspect what malignancy?
ALL
The most useful lab test in helping to diagnose ALL is… (be specific)
CBC w/ diff
What chromosome abnormalities are associated with ALL?
Hyperdiploidy + translocation of 12 and 21
Seen in the abnormal white cells
Phase 1 of ALL treatment is the () phase, which takes 15-18 months and achieves 95% remission on bone marrow aspirate using ()
- Remission induction phase
- Chemo for 15-18 months
Phase 2 in treating ALL, the intensification consolidation phase, adds on () to kill lymphoblasts in the (brain structure)
Adds on possible radiation to kill any lymphoblasts in meninges
Phase 3, the continuation therapy/maintenance phase of ALL treatment, uses daily () and weekly ()
- Daily oral chemo
- Weekly MTX
The main risk factor for ALL is…
Down syndrome
Always do a CBC on them!
The 2nd MC type of cancer in children is…
AML
Cancer of the bone marrow and lymph nodes
AML presents with very similar S/S as ALL. However, you can differentiate them via bone marrow aspirate showing () in AML and peripheral smear showing ()
- 30% or more blasts (ALL is 25)
- Auer rods (Pathognomonic for AML)
Mye rod? no its AUER rod!
I also remember it as america sounds like aml and auer! MC seen in 65+ as well.
AML treatment phases are similar to ALL, but the first phase is… (faster/slower)
Much faster! Its only 1 month of induction chemo for AML.
ALL is 15-18 months.
Besides treatment phases, AML can be treated via () or ()
Both transplants
- Bone marrow transplants
- Cord Blood transplants
The 3 RFs for AML are…
- () therapy
- Previous ()
- Syndromes: () or ()
- Ionizing radiation therapy
- Previous chemo
- Neurofibromatosis or Down syndrome
Remission is achieved in AML when () is in normal range
WBC
Between AML and ALL, the better prognosis/long-term survival is…
ALL
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma accounts for ()% of lymphomas in children, and primarily peaks right before () and after the age of ()
- 50% of lymphomas in children
- Peaks right before adolescence and again after age 50
Hodgkins in HS, Leukemia in little kids
The etiology of HL is that () cells undergo malignant transformation
Germinal center B cells
There are 3 forms of HL based on age: chilldhood, YA, and older adult.
Childhood form is characterized by INCREASED risk from () family size, and () socioeconomic status. Early exposure to () decreases risk!
Young adult form is INcreased risk from () socioeconomic status and being born (first vs last)
- Childhood risk = big family, poor status.
- Early exposure to Common infections decreases risk!
- Young adult risk = RICH and firstborn
Childhood vs young adult are opposite socioeconomic status for risk!
12yo M comes into your office with cervical LAN and supraclavicular LAN. It is painless. He has been having a cough, so you get a CXR and see a mediastinal mass. He has been losing a little weight recently and says he always wakes up drenched in the morning. Your primary suspicion is that this boy might have…
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Biopsy of a lymph node shows Reed-Sternberg cells and EBV titer is positive. You know this corresponds to…
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
T/F: Hodgkin’s lymphoma is diagnosed via bone marrow aspirate and LP
False. It is to check if it has spread to bone marrow and spinal fluid. Dx is made via lymph node biopsy.
Reed-Sternberg cells are () lymphocytes
Multinucleated
You should early biopsy an enlarged lymph node in a child if:
- () of infectious cause
- Lymph node is > () cm
- () node is enlarged
- Abnormal ()
- Node increases in size after () weeks of abx tx or fails to decrease in 4-6 weeks.
- Lack of infectious cause
- > 2cm
- Supraclavicular (not a common node to get enlarged)
- Abnormal CXR
- 2 weeks of abx tx
Ann arbor staging is used for HL. The staging criteria and prognosis of HL correlates with ()
B symptoms
Fever, wt loss, night sweats
NHL arises from () cells and accumulates in () tissue
- Lymphoid cells
- Accumulates in lymph tissue
Name the Top 3 MC cancers in children.
- ALL
- AML
- NHL
L M N