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Virtual reality modeling (VRM) is a 3-dimensional (3D) simulation. It is a powerful tool and has multiple uses and applications in pediatric surgery. Patient-specific 2-dimensional imaging can be used to generate a virtual reality model, which can improve anatomical perception and understanding, and can aid in preoperative planning for complex operations. VRM can also be used for realistic training and simulation. It has also proven effective in distraction for pediatric patients experiencing pain and/or anxiety. We detail the technical requirements and process required for VRM generation, the applications, and future directions., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid extracranial malignancy of childhood with an incidence of 1 per 100,000 in the United States compromising approximately 10 % of childhood cancer. Unfortunately, patients with high-risk NG continue to have long-term survival less than 50 %. Both Children's Oncology Group and the International Society of Paediatric Oncology have demonstrated the important role of surgery in the treatment of high-risk NB. Herein, we compose the results of an extensive literature review as well as expert opinion from leaders in pediatric surgical oncology, to present the critical elements of effective surgery for high-risk neuroblastoma., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

With improvement in the outcomes for children with cancer has come an increasing focus on minimizing the morbidity from therapeutic interventions, including surgical procedures, while continuing to have a high likelihood of cure. Thus, an appreciation for the potential complications of surgery, both acute and long term, is critical when considering the risks and benefits of any procedure performed on a child with cancer. Although not meant to be an exhaustive review, here we discuss the most common and significant surgical complications that may occur when performing diagnostic, therapeutic, or supportive procedures in children with the most common malignant solid tumors., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Most children who succumb to solid malignancies do so because of the burden of metastatic disease or due to complications associated with the therapy administered to treat metastatic disease. Approximately one-quarter of children with solid tumors will present with metastatic disease, and an additional 20% ultimately develop metastatic disease, most commonly in the lung. The role of surgery in the treatment of metastatic solid tumors, given its disseminated nature, is not intuitive, yet there are circumstances in which surgical resection of metastatic disease can potentially be curative. However, the utility of surgery is very much dependent on histology, and generally is most appropriate for those malignancies with histologies that are refractory to other adjuvant therapies., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Neuroblastoma is a heterogeneous disease; tumors can spontaneously regress or mature, or display an aggressive, therapy-resistant phenotype. Increasing evidence indicates that the biological and molecular features of neuroblastoma significantly influence and are highly predictive of clinical behavior. Because of this, neuroblastoma has served as a paradigm for biological risk assessment and treatment assignment. Most current clinical studies of neuroblastoma base therapy and its intensity on a risk stratification that takes into account both clinical and biological variables predictive of relapse. For example, surgery alone offers definitive therapy with excellent outcome for patients with low-risk disease, whereas patients at high risk for disease relapse are treated with intensive multimodality therapy. In this review recent advances in the understanding of the molecular genetic events involved in neuroblastoma pathogenesis are discussed, and how they are impacting the current risk stratification and providing potential targets for new therapeutic approaches for children with neuroblastoma. In addition, the results of significant recent clinical trials for the treatment of neuroblastoma are reviewed., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pediatric surgeons play a critical role in diagnosing, staging, and treating malignant solid tumors in children. Over the years, the surgical management of the primary tumor site has evolved from an aggressive en-bloc resection at diagnosis to a more tailored surgical approach, often affecting definitive local control after the delivery of neoadjuvant therapy, as currently directed by many solid tumor protocols. In fact, inappropriate upfront resection can lead to unnecessary short- and long-term morbidity, an incomplete resection, and may be associated with a delay in the initiation of the systemic chemotherapy that is critical to the treatment of gross or occult metastatic disease. Therefore, it is important for the pediatric surgeon, as a member of the multidisciplinary team involved in the care of these children, to understand the indications for and implications of neoadjuvant therapy in the treatment of pediatric solid tumors. Here we review the current management of childhood solid tumors focusing on the role of neoadjuvant therapy., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cancer is a disease whose progression is driven by a series of accumulating genetic and epigenetic changes influenced by hereditary factors and the somatic environment. These changes result in individual cells acquiring a phenotype that provides those cells with a survival advantage over surrounding normal cells. Our understanding of the processes that occur in malignant transformation is increasing, with many discoveries in cancer cell biology having been made through the study of childhood tumors. The processes involved in oncogenesis and cancer progression will be discussed in this review., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Head and neck masses represent a common clinical entity in children. In general, these masses are classified as developmental, inflammatory, or neoplastic. Having a working knowledge of lesions within this region and conducting a thorough history and physical examination generally enables the clinician to facilitate an appropriate workup and establish a diagnosis. The differential diagnosis is broad, and expeditiously distinguishing benign from malignant masses is critical for instituting a timely multidisciplinary approach to the management of malignant lesions. Neoplasms of the head and neck account for approximately 5% of all childhood malignancies. A diagnosis of malignancy may represent a primary tumor or metastatic foci to cervical nodes. In this review, we discuss the general approach to evaluating suspicious masses and adenopathy in the head and neck region and summarize the most common malignant neoplasms of the head and neck with regard to their incidence, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, staging, and management. Thyroid, parathyroid, and salivary gland tumors are discussed elsewhere in this issue of Seminars in Pediatric Surgery.

Although the past 30 years have seen remarkable progress in the treatment of childhood malignancies, not all types of cancer have enjoyed this improvement in prognosis. Because of this, clinical trials are ongoing in which novel treatment approaches are being evaluated, including immunotherapy, radionuclide therapy, and the use of agents that induce tumor apoptosis or differentiation. Additional treatment strategies are needed, however. One such strategy involves the use of angiogenesis inhibitors. Angiogenesis is the biologic process of new blood vessel formation. In addition to occurring as part of several normal, physiologic processes, angiogenesis is an essential component of a number of pathologic conditions, including cancer. Compelling data suggest that inhibition of angiogenesis can not only prevent tumor-associated neovascularization but also affect tumor growth and spread. An anticancer approach in which the tumor-induced new blood vessels are targeted is particularly appealing for several reasons. First, despite the extreme molecular and phenotypic heterogeneity of human cancer, it is likely that most, if not all, tumor types require neovascularization to achieve their full malignant phenotype. Therefore, antiangiogenic therapy may have broad applicability for the treatment of human cancer, as well as the many other pathologic processes that depend on angiogenesis. Second, the endothelial cells, although rapidly proliferating, are inherently normal with a very low rate of mutation. They are, therefore, unlikely to evolve an angiogenesis inhibitor-insensitive phenotype. This is in distinction to the rapidly proliferating tumor cells that do undergo a high rate of spontaneous mutation and therefore can readily generate drug-resistant clones. This review discusses progress in the development of antiangiogenic therapy for the treatment of pediatric solid tumors.