Pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma: a 7-year experience at King Hussein medical center

Objective: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of children with rhabdomyosarcoma diagnosed and treated at King Hussein Medical Center

Methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted by the hematology-oncology unit of pediatric department at Queen Rania Al Abdullah Hospital for Children at King Hussein Medical Center. The medical records of children with rhabdomyosarcoma were reviewed over a period of 7 years, between April 2005 end of March 2012. The age of children included in the study was less or equal to 14 years at the time diagnosis. The charts of 52 patients were reviewed regarding: patient demographics, tumor characteristics, risk stratification, treatment outcomes. Descriptive analysis using frequencies was used to describe the study variables

Results: There were 27males and 25 females with M: F ratio of 1.08:1. The median age at diagnosis was 5 years [range 0.25-13.75 years] with 80.8% below the age of 10 years. Head and neck was the most common primary site of tumor [46.2%], followed by the extremities [21.2%]. Pathologically, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma was the most frequent subtype [90.4%]. The stage frequencies were as follows: stage I [25.0 %], stage II [9.6 %], stage III [36.5 %] and stage IV [28.8 %]. Regarding postsurgical grouping classification, group III and IV were the most prevalent, constituting 42.3% and 28.8% respectively. The 3- year event - free survival rate for patients was 55.8 %, and the 3- year overall survival rate was 61.5 %

Conclusion: Advanced stages [stage III and IV] and postsurgical groups [group III and IV] were the most commonly encountered in pediatric patients, which showed a negative effect on event free survival and overall survival rates. Epidemiological features other than gender distribution were close to the previously reported data

Prevalence and significance of cytogenetic findings of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: experience at king Hussein medical center

To determine the spectrum of cytogenetic abnormalities of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and adults at King Hussein Medical Center. A retrospective review of raw bone marrow aspirate cytogenetic analysis reports was conducted at Princess Iman Research and Laboratory Sciences Center at King Hussein Medical Center during the period between Jan 2010 and Apr 2014. A total of 97 patients were studied regarding: age, gender, and cytogenetic analysis. The age was categorized into two groups [14 years as adult group]. Descriptive analysis using frequencies was used to describe the study variables. Fifty-two [53.6%] cases were males and 45 [46.4%] were females. Their ages ranged between six months and 72 years. A total of 72 [74.2%] patients were children and 25 [25.8%] patients were > 14 years old. Of all pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases, 52.8% [38 cases] were negative for all the cytogenetic abnormalities, while 47.2% [34 cases] revealed one or more cytogenetic abnormalities. Translocation t[12;21], hyperdiploidy [>50 chromosomes or DNA index >1.16] were the predominant cytogenetic abnormalities in children with lymphoblastic leukemia. In the adult lymphoblastic leukemia group, 68.0% [17 cases] were negative for all the cytogenetic abnormalities, while 32% [8 cases] had cytogenetic abnormalities. Hyperdiploidy was the most common [20.0%, 5 patients] followed by translocation t [9;22] [8.0%, 2 patients]. Distribution and patterns of chromosomal abnormalities of lymphoblastic leukemia differ between children and adults. Translocation t[12;21], hyperdiploidy and rearrangements / translocations involving the MLL gene at chromosome 11q23 were the most commonly encountered in children. Hyperdiploidy was prevalent in adults, while no adult cases with 11q23 rearrangements or t[12;21] were encountered

Lymphoma at King Hussein Medical Center: a histopathologic review

To determine the spectrum of various types of malignant lymphoma in children and adults at King Hussein Medical Center according to the World Health Organization classification 2001. A retrospective review of the histopathological subtypes of all primary lymphoma cases was conducted at Princess Iman Research and Laboratory Sciences Center at King Hussein Medical Center during the period between January 2004 and December 2008. A total of 485 patients were studied regarding: age, gender, and Lymphoma type using the World Health Organization classification of lymphoid neoplasms. Descriptive analysis using frequencies was used to describe the study variables. Two hundred seventy-four [56.5%] cases were males and 211 [43.5%] were females. Their ages ranged between two and ninety years. A total of 61 [12.6%] patients were children and 424 [87.4%] patients were > 14 years old. Of 485 patients included in the study, 342 patients [70.5%] had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 143[29.5%] had Hodgkin's lymphoma. Two hundred twenty nine [47.2%] of affected patients aged 50 years and above, non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma accounted for 206 patients [90%] of them. Of all pediatric lymphoma cases, Hodgkin's lymphoma accounted for 41% [25 cases] and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma 59% [36 cases]. Burkitt's lymphoma was the predominant lymphoma in children. In the adult NHL group, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was the most common followed by follicular lymphoma. In the HL group, the nodular sclerosis variant was the most frequent [63.6%, 91 patient] followed by the mixed cellularity type [20.3%, 29 patient]. Distribution and patterns of lymphoma differs between children and adults. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most commonly encountered lymphoma in adults. Burkitt's lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma are the predominant childhood lymphomas.