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Pediatric solid tumors and second malignancies: characteristics and survival outcomes
Vanitha Vasudevan1, Michael C Cheung, Relin Yang
1DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
The Journal of Surgical Research
|September 22, 2009
Summary
Pediatric solid tumors increase the risk of developing a second malignancy, most commonly leukemia. These secondary cancers significantly reduce survival rates in childhood cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric oncology
- Cancer epidemiology
- Tumorigenesis
Background:
- Second malignancies in pediatric patients are a significant concern.
- Understanding their incidence, characteristics, and outcomes is crucial for improving patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence, features, and survival rates of second malignancies in children diagnosed with a primary solid tumor.
- To identify specific primary tumors associated with an increased risk of secondary cancers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1973 to 2005.
- Analyzed data from patients under 20 years old with primary solid malignancies, excluding recurrences.
Main Results:
- Identified 31,685 pediatric solid malignancies; 0.56% developed a second malignancy before age 20.
- Common primary tumors included CNS tumors, soft tissue sarcoma, retinoblastoma, and bone tumors.
- Hematologic malignancies were the most frequent second cancers, with shorter latency than solid second tumors. Overall 10-year survival was 41.5% and decreased with secondary malignancies.
Conclusions:
- Central nervous system tumors, retinoblastoma, and soft tissue sarcomas are primary pediatric solid tumors linked to a higher risk of secondary cancers.
- Leukemia is the most common second malignancy observed in this cohort.
- The development of second malignancies is associated with substantially lower survival rates in pediatric cancer survivors.
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