Acute pancreatitis as a complication of childhood cancer treatment

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is now well recognized as a possible complication of childhood cancer treatment, interrupting the chemotherapy regimen, and requiring prolonged hospitalization, possibly with intensive care and surgical intervention, thereby compromising the effect of chemotherapy and the remission of the underlying malignant disease. This review summarizes the current literature and presents the various etiological factors for AP during chemotherapy as well as modern trends in the diagnosis and therapy of AP in children.

Predictors of hepatotoxicity and pancreatitis in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated according to contemporary regimens

“…However, rare treatment‐related mortality from hepatobiliary toxicity during induction and a subtle impact of dose modifications on survival may not be evident in a single‐institution study such as this. Moreover, both toxicities confer potential for significant burden from acute and long‐term comorbidity, such as feeding intolerance, endocrine abnormalities, and hepatobiliary dysfunction . Although it is unclear that comorbidities noted in long‐term follow‐up are due to acute TRTs, it is likely that they play a role.…”

A comparison of caspase 3 expression in the endocrine and exocrine parts of the pancreas after cladribine application according to the "leukemic" schema

“…Besides vomiting, mucosa ulceration and bone marrow aplasia, pancreatitis is a possible complication, especially in childhood cancer treatment [30], and there are cases of chemotherapy-induced acute pancreatitis in pancreatic carcinoma, ovarian cancer, as well as in acute lymphoblastic leukemia [16,25,27]. Acute pancreatitis may lead to complications such as pancreatic necrosis and the formation of pseudocysts [30]. Moreover, the destruction of the exocrine part of the pancreatic tissue leads to digestive disorders, and necrosis of the pancreatic islets may bring about glucose intolerance.…”

Pancreatitis aguda en niños. Una perspectiva desde la autopsia

“…En los últimos años se ha incrementado la frecuencia de la pancreatitis aguda porque han aumentado los casos de enfermedades que conducen a esta complicación, sobre todo por el consumo de fármacos reconocidamente tóxicos para el páncreas, como los esteroides y antineoplásicos. 13 De los casos de infección sobresalen los asociados con hepatitis fulminante en las que no se pudo establecer la causa del daño hepático. 17…”