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Background: Provider implicit bias can negatively affect clinician‐patient communication. In the current study, the authors measured implicit bias training among pediatric oncology providers and exposure to implicit association tests (IATs). They then assessed associations between IATs for race and socioeconomic status (SES) and recommendations for clinical trial enrollment. Methods: A prospective multisite study was performed to measure implicit bias among oncology providers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and affiliate clinics. An IAT was used to assess bias in the domains of race and SES. Case vignettes were used to determine an association between bias and provider recommendation for trial enrollment. Data were analyzed using Student t tests or Wilcoxon tests for comparisons and Jonckheere‐Terpstra tests were used for association. Results: Of the 105 total participants, 95 (90%) had not taken an IAT and 97 (92%) had no prior implicit bias training. A large effect was found for (bias toward) high SES (Cohen d, 1.93) and European American race (Cohen d, 0.96). The majority of participants (90%) had a vignette score of 3 or 4, indicating recommendation for trial enrollment for most or all vignettes. IAT and vignette scores did not significantly differ between providers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or affiliate clinics. No association was found between IAT and vignette scores for race (P =.58) or SES (P =.82). Conclusions: The authors noted a paucity of prior exposure to implicit bias self‐assessments and training. Although these providers demonstrated preferences for high SES and European American race, this did not appear to affect recommendations for clinical trial enrollment as assessed by vignettes. The current multisite study measures implicit bias in the domains of race and socioeconomic status among pediatric oncology providers in an academic center and community‐based practices. The impact of implicit bias in clinical trial enrollment is assessed using case vignettes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Tumor biopsies are central to the diagnosis and management of cancer and are critical to efforts in personalized medicine and targeted therapeutics. In the current study, the authors sought to evaluate the safety and accuracy of biopsies in children with cancer. METHODS All biopsies performed in children at the study institution with a suspected or established diagnosis of cancer from 2003 through 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. Patient characteristics and disease-related and procedure-related factors were correlated with procedure-related complications and diagnostic accuracy using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 1073 biopsies were performed in 808 patients. Of 1025 biopsies with adequate follow-up, 79 (7.7%) were associated with an adverse event, 35 (3.4%) of which were minor (grade 1-2) and 32 (3.1%) of which were major (grade 3-4) (grading was performed according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 4.0]). The most common major adverse events were blood transfusion (>10 mL/kg; 24 cases) and infection requiring intravenous antibiotics (6 cases). Eleven deaths (1.4%) occurred within 30 days after the procedure, but the procedure may have contributed to the outcome in only 2 cases. A total of 926 biopsies (90.3%) provided definitive histologic diagnoses. Using multivariable analysis, biopsy site, preprocedure hematocrit level, and body mass index were found to be associated with the risk of postprocedural complications ( P<.0001, P<.0001, and P =.0029, respectively). Excisional biopsy and biopsy site were found to be independently associated with obtaining a diagnostic result ( P =.0002 and P =.0008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Tumor biopsies in children with cancer are associated with a low incidence of complications and a high rate of diagnostic accuracy. The predictive factors identified for adverse outcomes may aid in risk assessment and preprocedural counseling. Cancer 2015;121:1098-1107. © 2014 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare outcomes of pediatric patients with high-risk metastatic neuroblastoma who received radiotherapy (RT) with those of patients who did not. Patients and methods: We reviewed the records of 63 patients with newly diagnosed metastatic neuroblastoma treated at our institution (1989-2001) to investigate their characteristics at presentation, dose and field of RT, treatment response, and failure patterns. Results: Seventeen patients received RT, and 46 did not. In the RT group, a greater percentage of patients had residual disease before consolidation than did those in the no-RT group (88.2% vs 69.6%, P = .008). Gross total resection was achieved less often in the RT group (65% vs 89%, P = .055), but the 5-year cumulative incidences of local failure were similar (35.3% ± 12.4% vs 32.6% ± 7.1%). Although there was no difference in 5-year event-free survival, overall survival was better in the no-RT group (47.8% ± 7.2% vs 23.5% ± 9.2%, P = .026). Conclusion: The addition of RT to the therapy of a group of patients with more residual locoregional disease appeared to improve the local failure rate to approximately that of patients with less residual disease. Radiotherapy may provide even greater benefit to those with less residual disease before consolidation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the activity and toxicity of dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and carboplatin (DAC) combination therapy in children with newly diagnosed large-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and to estimate the event-free and overall survival rates achieved when DAC is incorporated into a conventional regimen.Methods: From 1991 to 1997, 20 boys and 5 girls aged 4.2 to 17.7 years who had stage III (according to the St. Jude staging system) (n = 21) or stage IV (n = 4) large-cell NHL were treated in this study. DAC therapy was administered at the beginning of the induction phase in 2 sequential cycles and incorporated throughout a continuation phase (modified from the ACOP+ regimen, which features doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone) with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone. The total duration of treatment was approximately 10 months.Results: DAC therapy yielded a response in 22 of 25 patients (88%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 68%-97%): complete remission in 13 cases (52%), and partial response in 9 (36%). After additional treatment with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone, complete remission was attained in 18 patients (72%) and partial remission in 3 (12%). The event-free survival rate (+/- the standard error [SE]) was 64% +/- 9% and the overall survival rate was 80% +/- 8% at 5 years.Conclusions: The results of the current study indicate that the DAC regimen is well tolerated and effective for pediatric patients with large-cell NHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop and validate a pharmacokinetic limited sampling model (LSM) for intravenous and oral topotecan pharmacokinetic studies in children. Methods: Topotecan lactone concentration-time data from five trials were used to develop and validate LSM for intravenous and oral topotecan. Based on full sampling from one intravenous study (30 patients; 195 studies), a LSM for intravenous topotecan was determined using a modification of the D-optimality algorithm. For oral topotecan we used full sampling data from one oral topotecan study (27 patients; 47 studies) to develop an LSM. Accuracy and bias of each LSM were determined relative to the full sampling method. Predictive performance of the LSM was validated using additional data and Monte–Carlo simulations based on these data. Results: LSM for intravenous topotecan includes: 5 min, 1.5, and 2.5 h after the end of the 30 min infusion. The median accuracy (absolute predicted error) and bias (predicted error) are ≤8% and ≤6.1%, respectively. For oral topotecan, the optimal LSM includes: 15 min, 1.5, and 6 h. The median accuracy and bias are 6% and 4%, respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the optimal sampling times for the intravenous LSM for topotecan in children consist of: predose, and 5 min, 1.5, and 2.5 h after the end of infusion. For oral topotecan the sample times are predose, 15 min, 1.5, and 6 h after dose administration. These LSM are invaluable to children receiving topotecan because it minimizes inconvenience and blood collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown that children and adolescents with COVID-19 generally have mild disease. Children and adolescents with cancer, however, can have severe disease when infected with respiratory viruses. In this study, we aimed to understand the clinical course and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents with cancer.Methods: We did a cohort study with data from 131 institutions in 45 countries. We created the Global Registry of COVID-19 in Childhood Cancer to capture de-identified data pertaining to laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections in children and adolescents (<19 years) with cancer or having received a haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. There were no centre-specific exclusion criteria. The registry was disseminated through professional networks through email and conferences and health-care providers were invited to submit all qualifying cases. Data for demographics, oncological diagnosis, clinical course, and cancer therapy details were collected. Primary outcomes were disease severity and modification to cancer-directed therapy. The registry remains open to data collection.Findings: Of 1520 submitted episodes, 1500 patients were included in the study between April 15, 2020, and Feb 1, 2021. 1319 patients had complete 30-day follow-up. 259 (19·9%) of 1301 patients had a severe or critical infection, and 50 (3·8%) of 1319 died with the cause attributed to COVID-19 infection. Modifications to cancer-directed therapy occurred in 609 (55·8%) of 1092 patients receiving active oncological treatment. Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with severe or critical illness, including World Bank low-income or lower-middle-income (odds ratio [OR] 5·8 [95% CI 3·8-8·8]; p<0·0001) and upper-middle-income (1·6 [1·2-2·2]; p=0·0024) country status; age 15-18 years (1·6 [1·1-2·2]; p=0·013); absolute lymphocyte count of 300 or less cells per mm3 (2·5 [1·8-3·4]; p<0·0001), absolute neutrophil count of 500 or less cells per mm3 (1·8 [1·3-2·4]; p=0·0001), and intensive treatment (1·8 [1·3-2·3]; p=0·0005). Factors associated with treatment modification included upper-middle-income country status (OR 0·5 [95% CI 0·3-0·7]; p=0·0004), primary diagnosis of other haematological malignancies (0·5 [0·3-0·8]; p=0·0088), the presence of one of more COVID-19 symptoms at the time of presentation (1·8 [1·3-2·4]; p=0·0002), and the presence of one or more comorbidities (1·6 [1·1-2·3]; p=0·020).Interpretation: In this global cohort of children and adolescents with cancer and COVID-19, severe and critical illness occurred in one fifth of patients and deaths occurred in a higher proportion than is reported in the literature in the general paediatric population. Additionally, we found that variables associated with treatment modification were not the same as those associated with greater disease severity. These data could inform clinical practice guidelines and raise awareness globally that children and adolescents with cancer are at high-risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness.Funding: American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities and the National Cancer Institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Zygomyces are an increasingly frequent cause of invasive mold infection in immunocompromised patients. Here we describe the first well-documented case of Rhizopus infection of odontogenic origin, which presented as a rapidly progressive soft tissue infection in a neutropenic child. The infection resolved with limited surgical debridement and antifungal therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]