Objectives In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical features of obesity and metabolic syndrome, which are long-term effects of survivors after treatment in children with leukemia and lymphoma. Patients and Methods Patients with leukemia and lymphoma, who were diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 (at least 2 two years after remission) were included. Data obtained through reviewing the family history, demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory parameters (blood glucose, lipid, and insulin levels) were analyzed and compared at the time of diagnosis, after the treatment and at time of the study. Results Eighty nine patients (45 boys, 44 girls) were included (mean age: 14.7 ± 4.3 years): 77.5% had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 11.2% had acute myeloid leukemia, and 11.2% had lymphoma. Overall, 46% patients had received radiotherapy, 7% had undergone surgery, and 2.2% had received stem cell transplantation in addition to chemotherapy. The mean duration of treatment was 2.4 years, and the time elapsed after treatment was 4.9 years. While only one had obesity at the diagnosis, a significant increase in obesity (20%), hypertension (15.7%), hyperglycemia (15%), insulin resistance (35%) were observed at the time of study, and family history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases were significantly higher in this subgroup. Conclusion The prevalence of metabolic syndorme is higher in children with leukemia and lymphoma after treatment, and begins to increase with the initiation of treatment and continues to increase over time. These children should be followed-up for late-effects including metabolic syndrome through life-long period.

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Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical findings and treatment outcomes of our patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Patient and methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of children with DIPG at Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine Children's Hospital between 2000 and 2016. Descriptive statistics and survival analyses were used to evaluate data. Results Twenty one children were included in the study; the median age of diagnosis was 9.4 years (2.9-15.7 years) and 13 were boys and 8 were girls. While all patients received radiotherapy and chemotherapy, nimotuzumab and vinorelbine treatment were also given since 2010 (6 patients). The median survival time was 15.8 months (6-262 months); survival rates were 81%, 33.3%, 23.8% and 9.5% at the 1st year, 18th month, 24th month and 5th year, respectively. The 2-year survival rate for those who received nimotuzumab was 33.3%, while it was 20% for those who did not (p: 0.78). The median survival was 17.9 months (5.8-85.1 months) in those who received nimotuzumab and 15.8 months (9.3-262.1 months) in those who did not (p: 0.808). Conclusion Survival rates are still low in brain stem gliomas and radiotherapy remains the main and effective treatment option. However, a better understanding of its molecular genetics, promising preclinical models, and new techniques that cross the blood-brain barrier are expected to contribute positively to survival.

Colonizing the gastrointestinal and genitourinary system, group B streptococcus (GBS) causes focal and systemic infections in infants in the first 3 months of life and in pregnant women and elderly people. GBS, less frequently, emerges as an infectious agent among children and adults with facilitating factors, like immunosuppression, malignancy, immune deficiency, and chronic liver and kidney failure. In this article, an 11-year-old child with cervical lymphadenitis due to GBS who had no concomitant disease or immunosuppression is presented.

Objectives To retrospectively compare the overall and event-free survival rates of patients with standard and high risk medulloblastoma who received postoperative radiotherapy (RT) followed by maintenance chemotherapy. Methods The study included 48 patients with medulloblastoma who were treated and followed-up between 2005 and 2021. Patients were classified according to the Chang classification because no molecular analysis was done. Immediately after surgery all patients received postoperative RT followed by eight cycles of chemotherapy (SIOP/UKCCSG PNET-3 protocol); if thrombocytopenia developed, carboplatin was replaced by cisplatin to avoid treatment delay. The clinical characteristics, risk categories and treatment outcomes of all patients were analyzed. Results The mean age of the 48 patients (26 males, 22 females) at diagnosis was 7.27±4.21 y. The median start time of RT after surgery was 37 (range 19–80) d. The median follow-up was 56 (3–216) mo. The 5-year event-free survival was 61.2±10% in the high-risk group and 82.5±11.5% in the standard-risk group. The 5-year overall survival was 73.2±7.1%; it was 61.2±10% and 92.9±6.9% for high- and standard-risk patients, respectively (p = 0.026). Conclusions The outcomes of patients who were started on the modified SIOP/UKCCSG PNET-3 chemotherapy protocol, in which RT was begun as soon as possible after surgery, were comparable to those of current treatment protocols. Although a definitive conclusion is difficult, given the limited number of patients in the present study, authors suggest that their treatment protocol is a viable option for centers with limited facilities (such as an inability to perform molecular analysis).