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Biomedical subjects

Mark Greenberg

Publications and source records attributed to Mark Greenberg.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Renal cell carcinoma in children. Prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome in childhood renal cell carcinoma and the role of surgical and radiation treatment. METHODS: The records of 21 children with renal cell carcinoma were reviewed, 15 patients treated in the University of Toronto centers from 1959 through to 1997 and 6 patients treated in King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1975 through to 1998. The age was 3-17 (median 13) years. Systematic metastases were present at diagnosis in 5 patients. Regional nodal spread was present in 9 patients and 7 patients had localized disease alone. In the 16 M0 patients, the surgical treatment was radical nephrectomy (14 patients) partial nephrectomy (one patient) and wedge resection (one patient). Postoperative radiation treatment was utilized in 8 (50%) of these patients. RESULTS: The 5 year survival rate for all patients was 52%, and for M0 patients was 70%. No patient with systematic metastases at diagnosis survived beyond 26 months. Four of 7 node negative patients and 8 of 9 node positive patients remained in first complete remission, with the duration of follow up 1-30 (Median 5) years. Seven of 8 M0 patients who did not receive adjuvant radiation therapy continued in first remission (3N0, 2NI, 2N2), compared with 5 of 8 patients who received postoperativeradiation treatment (1 N0, 2 NI, 2 N2). CONCLUSION: The prognosis of localized renal cell carcinoma in childhood may be better than in the adult. Gross complete resection is required for long term survival. Elective postoperativeradiation treatment is not indicated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Education, employment, insurance, and marital status among 694 survivors of pediatric lower extremity bone tumors: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study.

BACKGROUND: With increasing numbers of childhood cancer survivors, direct sequelae of cancer therapy and psychosocial outcomes are becoming more important. The authors described psychosocial outcomes (education, employment, health insurance, and marriage) for survivors of pediatric lower extremity bone tumors. METHODS: The long-term follow-up study of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study is a multiinstitutional cohort study comprising 14,054 individuals who have survived for 5 or more years after treatment for cancer diagnosed during childhood or adolescence. Baseline demographic and medical information were obtained. Six hundred ninety-four survivors had osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma of the lower extremity or pelvis and were classified by amputation status and by age at diagnosis. The median age at diagnosis was 14 years old with a median of 16 years of follow up since diagnosis. Demographic characteristics were used to analyze the rates of psychosocial outcomes. RESULTS: Amputation status and age at diagnosis did not significantly influence any of the measured psychosocial outcomes. Education was a significant positive predictor of employment, having health insurance, and being currently in their first marriage. Male gender predicted ever being employed and female gender predicted having health insurance and marriage. When compared with siblings, amputees had significant deficits in education, employment, and health insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, no differences between amputees and nonamputees were found. However, gender and education play a prominent role. When compared with siblings, amputees in this cohort may benefit from additional supports.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Folic acid food fortification is associated with a decline in neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma, an embryonic tumor, is the second most common pediatric tumor and is the most prevalent extracranial solid tumor in children. Results of previous studies have suggested that maternal vitamin intake may decrease the risk of several childhood cancers. In January 1997, Canada began fortifying flour with folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects. The effect of folic acid fortification on the rate of neuroblastoma in offspring is not known. METHODS: We investigated the rates of neuroblastoma (<1 year), acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and hepatoblastoma registered by the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, which captures 95% of all pediatric cancers in Ontario, before and after the introduction of folate fortification. RESULTS: An interventional time series analysis showed that the incidence of neuroblastoma declined from 1.57 cases per 10,000 births before to 0.62 case per 10,000 births after folic acid fortification (P <.0001). The crude incidence rate ratio (0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.64) remained significant after adjustment for both age and disease stage at diagnosis (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.62). In contrast, there was no significant change in the rate of infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (incidence rate ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-2.27) or hepatoblastoma (incidence rate ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-1.89). CONCLUSIONS: Folic acid fortification was associated with a 60% reduction in neuroblastoma but was not associated with any change in the rate of infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia or hepatoblastoma. Further investigation is needed into the role of metabolism in the formation and prevention of neuroblastoma and other embryonically determined cancers.

Canada↗
PubMed2002

Childhood cancer survivors' knowledge about their past diagnosis and treatment: Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

CONTEXT: Adult survivors of childhood cancer are at risk for adverse effects later in life but may have limited access to information about their diagnosis and treatment. This knowledge is necessary to motivate them to seek medical follow-up and to report essential history to health care professionals. OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge of adult survivors of childhood cancer about their primary cancer diagnosis and associated therapies. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional survey of 635 consecutive survivors (approximately 5%) drawn from 12 156 participants 18 years or older participating in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (a multiinstitutional cohort of individuals diagnosed between January 1, 1970, and December 31,1986, at an age <21 years, who had survived 5 years from diagnosis). The survey assessed knowledge of their cancer diagnosis and associated therapies in a 3- to 5-minute telephone questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses were compared with medical record data for accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. RESULTS: Overall, 72% accurately reported their diagnosis with precision and 19% were accurate but not precise. Individuals with central nervous system (CNS) cancer (odds ratio, 5.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-9.9) and neuroblastoma (OR, 4.2; 95% CI, 1.8-9.6) were more likely not to know their cancer diagnosis. Participants' accuracy rates for reporting their treatment history was 94% for chemotherapy, 89% for radiation, and 93% for splenectomy. Among those who received anthracyclines, only 30% recalled receiving daunorubicin therapy and 52% recalled receiving doxorubicin therapy, even after prompting with the drugs' names. Among those who received radiotherapy, 70% recalled the site of radiotherapy. History of receiving a written medical summary, attending a long-term follow-up clinic, and anxiety about late effects were not associated with greater knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Important knowledge deficits exist among adult survivors of childhood cancer regarding basic aspects of their diagnosis and treatment. Such deficits could impair survivors' ability to seek and receive appropriate long-term follow-up care.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation of proliferative index and cell cycle protein expression in choroid plexus tumors in children.

Choroid plexus tumors are papillary neoplasms originating from the epithelium of the choroid plexus within the cerebral ventricles. They may be highly proliferative tumors, but detailed studies confirming their proliferative potential are lacking. Accordingly, we performed a clinicopathological correlation study of neoplasms arising from the choroid plexus in children using immunohistochemistry to characterize both their proliferative potential and their degree of cell cycle dysregulation when compared to non-neoplastic choroid epithelium. Twelve children with choroid plexus papillomas (CPPs) and 11 with choroid plexus carcinomas (CPCs) were identified from the time period 1982-1997. The outcome and survival of these children following treatment was determined from the medical record. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on CPPs and CPCs in this patient population and on non-neoplastic choroid epithelium using antibodies to MIB-1, p53, cyclin E, retinoblastoma protein (pRB), p107, and E2F-1. In 5 children with CPCs, tumor tissue was available for immunohistochemistry at a second surgery after cycles of chemotherapy had been given. The mean survival for patients with CPPs was 8.5 years, and with CPCs 5.2 years with a minimum follow-up of 4 years for the group. The expression of cell cycle markers and MIB-1 was greater in CPCs than in CPPs or normal choroid plexus. The expression of MIB-1, p53, pRB, and E2F-1 was significantly lower in patients with CPCs after chemotherapy than before. The MIB-1 labeling index for CPC patients who are alive and well after treatments was 15.19+/-3.2 compared to 22.63+/-3.04 for patients who have died from their disease (P<0.05). We conclude that CPCs in children are characterized by a higher MIB-1 labeling index and greater cell cycle dysregulation than are CPPs. Chemotherapy may work in part on CPCs to decrease their proliferative potential and expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The medical care cost of childhood and adolescent cancer in Manitoba, 1990-1995.

The main purpose of this study is to estimate the medical care costs of childhood and adolescent cancer in Manitoba, and to determine the elements that influence these costs. Retrospective chart reviews were done to obtain all the information. A total of 118 childhood (age 0-14 years) and 41 adolescent (age 15-19 years) cancer patients were included. For childhood cancer, in-patient hospitalizations accounted for 59% of the total cost, followed by bone marrow transplant (BMT) (9%), medications (8%), laboratory investigations (7%) and physician fees (7%). For adolescent cancer, in-patient hospitalization accounted for 37% of the total cost, followed by bone marrow transplant (BMT) (25%), physicians' fees (11%), medications (9%) and laboratory investigations (7%). Overall, the average cost for the first, second and third year following diagnosis was $50,902 (median 35,708), $13,939 (4,127) and $6,769 (2,565) respectively for childhood cancer patients, and $57,354 (24,192), $16,888 (3,267) and $3,436 (3,267) respectively for adolescent cancer patients. Further work involving long-term data linkage of medical charts with hospital and clinic financial billing codes is needed to provide more accurate estimates of the costs of childhood and adolescent cancer care.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Evaluating the efficacy of EMLA in alleviating pain associated with lumbar puncture; comparison of open and double-blinded protocols in children.

Potential benefit of the topical anesthetic EMLA prior to lumbar puncture was studied in children with cancer. Comparison was made between 2 types of study: the first one involved 10 children who were enrolled in a double-blind placebo-controlled study and in the second, 18 children in an open crossover study. Although both studies suggested the favourable effects of EMLA in alleviating pain associated with LP, they illustrated the need to perform such studies in a controlled blinded fashion; the effect in the double-blind study was not apparent in some cases, whereas it was clear cut in all open cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Children receiving chemotherapy at home: perceptions of children and parents.

The aim of this descriptive exploratory study was to determine the perspectives of parents and children with cancer on a home chemotherapy program. Qualitative analyses were used to organize data from 24 parents and 14 children into emerging themes. Themes included (1) financial and time costs, (2) disruption to daily routines, (3) psychological and physical effects, (4) recommendations and caveats, and (5) preference for home chemotherapy. When home chemotherapy was compared with hospital clinic-based chemotherapy, parents reported fewer financial and time costs and less disruption to their work and family schedules, and children reported more time to play/study, improved school attendance, and engagement in normal activities. Although some parents felt more secure with hospital chemotherapy, most found it more exhausting and stressful. At home, children selected places for their treatment and some experienced fewer side effects. Although some coordination/communication problems existed, the majority of parents and children preferred home chemo-therapy. Home chemotherapy treatment is a viable, acceptable, and positive health care delivery alternative from the perspective of parents and children with cancer.

Activities of Daily Living↗