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Seizures in children with systemic cancer
1Department of Neurology and Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Pediatric Neurology
|May 29, 2003
Summary
Children with cancer face unique seizure risks. Leukemia is common, with causes varying by cancer type, and bone marrow transplants increase susceptibility. Careful medication choices are crucial.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuroscience
- Hematology
Background:
- Children with cancer have distinct seizure risk factors and management challenges compared to typical pediatric patients.
- Seizures in pediatric cancer patients require specialized assessment and treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the causes, characteristics, and outcomes of seizures in children with systemic cancer.
- To identify specific risk factors and etiological patterns of seizures in this vulnerable population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of a pediatric neurooncology database.
- Analysis of data from 47 children with systemic cancer and seizures.
- Evaluation of neuroimaging findings and seizure disorder chronicity.
Main Results:
- Leukemia was the most frequent cancer (47%).
- Toxic-metabolic disturbances caused seizures in hematologic cancers; metastases were common in solid tumors.
- Bone marrow transplant recipients had high seizure susceptibility (34%), but few developed chronic disorders (19.1%).
- Neuroimaging was etiologically informative in 62% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Seizure etiology in pediatric cancer varies by cancer type and treatment modality.
- Careful consideration of drug interactions between antiseizure medications and chemotherapy is essential.
- Neuroimaging plays a key role in identifying seizure causes in these patients.