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The prognosis of childhood cancers has improved markedly, and the proportion of long-term survivors has increased in recent years. However, with the increase in the number of long-term survivors, the development of latent treatment-related adverse effects, such as secondary malignancies, has generated new problems. Secondary cancer is defined as a histologically distinct malignancy that develops at least 2 months after the completion of treatment for primary cancer. Genetic factors and acquired conditions associated with treatment modalities are possible causes of secondary malignancy development. Genetic factors include the presence of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) and retinoblastoma. In terms of acquired factors, radiation and chemotherapy have been reported to be the most strongly associated with secondary malignancy development. The use of alkylating agents and topoisomerase II inhibitors for the treatment of childhood cancer increases the subsequent risk of secondary tumors. We herein investigated three cases of secondary osteosarcoma several years after treatment for primary cancer. In the three patients, the familial history did not appear to fit the clinical diagnostic criteria of LFS or retinoblastoma. The patients had not received previous radiation therapy to the anatomical site of the secondary cancer. However, high dosages of alkylating agents and topoisomerase II inhibitors had been administered for the treatment of primary cancer. The exact link between chemotherapy and secondary cancer remains elusive, but the possibility of an association should be considered. Following the development of multidisciplinary therapies, long-term follow-up and monitoring of latent adverse effects may be necessary for childhood cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While children undergo skeletal maturation, it is difficult to distinguish between normal variants and abnormalities of the epiphysis and acrophysis on radiological images. Abnormalities in the epiphysis and acrophysis of the toe phalanx have not been reported yet. Here, we describe a series of abnormalities in the epiphysis and acrophysis of the fourth and fifth toe phalanges, including an investigation of their pathogenesis. We evaluated patients suspected of having bone tumors at a local orthopedic clinic because of abnormal findings of the toe phalanx between the distal and middle phalanx on plain radiographs. The site of the lesion, duration of pain until the hospital visit, history of trauma and sports, treatment, and clinical course were investigated. A total of seven patients (five boys and two girls) with a mean age of 10 years (range 9-16) were included. In all cases, a circular erosive radiolucent image was present between the distal and middle phalanx. In two cases, the fourth toe was affected, and in five cases, the fifth toe was affected. Six patients showed improvements with conservative treatment using shoe insoles. In one case, surgical treatment was performed for persistent pain. Histological examination of the fibrous tissue collected from the circular erosive radiolucent area revealed normal bone and slightly degenerated hyaline cartilage. This is the first report on the abnormalities of the epiphysis and acrophysis of the toe phalanx, which is termed as Shintaniwakino disease. A better understanding of this disease may aid in the avoidance of unnecessary treatment., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Focal periphyseal edema (FOPE) zones were first described in 2011. The aim of this report was to investigate the clinical course of patients with FOPE zones. Three adolescent patients with a FOPE zone in the knee were treated and observed for a maximum of 2 years. No symptoms or leg-length discrepancy developed at the final follow-up after conservative therapies. This is the first report on the follow-up of FOPE zones with a maximum of 2 years. The results suggest that observation of FOPE zones may be sufficient without invasive examinations and treatment.

This study was conducted to investigate marriage and fertility in long-term survivors with high-grade bone and soft tissue tumors following chemotherapy. We reviewed issues related to fertility in 47 patients (24 men and 23 women) who had survived for >5 years. The median age at diagnosis was 18.0±8.9 years and the mean duration of follow-up 11.0 years. We investigated the proportions of married subjects (number of married/total number of subjects) and fertile subjects (number who had fathered or conceived offspring/total number of subjects), the interval between first delivery and last chemotherapy, type of delivery, congenital deformities in the offspring and the association between cumulative dose of chemotherapeutic agents and subsequent reproduction. The final proportions of married and fertile subjects following sarcoma treatment were 36.2% (17/47) and 29.8% (14/47), respectively. Two subjects had fathered and 8 had conceived a total of 15 offspring. The proportion of fertile men was significantly lower compared to that of women. The mean interval between the last chemotherapy and the first delivery was 9.5 years. Of the 10 first births, 6 were normal transvaginal deliveries and 4 were caesarean sections (1 was a medical termination due to lung metastases, 1 was due to infected amniotic fluid caused by uterine myomas and 2 were performed due to abnormal rotation of the fetus). No offspring presented with congenital deformities. Fertile men had received smaller cumulative chemotherapeutic agent doses, particularly of ifosfamide, compared to those who had not fathered any offspring. In conclusion, infertility occurs more frequently in men compared to women following intensive chemotherapy. All the patients should be offered counseling regarding the potential risk of infertility prior to cancer treatment.

Background: Intravenous bisphosphonates (BPs) have been used to reduce the frequency of skeletal-related events due to bone metastases of several kinds of cancers. Although many studies on BP-related atypical fractures (BRAFs) due to the use of BP for osteoporosis treatment have been reported, few reports on BRAFs arising as a complication of long-term BP use for bone metastasis of cancer are available., Case Report: A 62-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer presented with right thigh pain after she had a fall. Radiographs indicated a transverse fracture in the shaft of the right femur. She had been on zoledronate treatment for six years. Based on radiographic and histopathological findings, we concluded that the fracture was not a pathological fracture associated with metastasis but was a complication of long-term BP treatment., Conclusion: Clinical oncologists should consider the possibility of BRAFs in patients on long-term zoledronate treatment for bone metastases.