A study analyzing the health-related quality of life of retinoblastoma survivors in India.

Purpose: : Retinoblastoma (RB) is the commonest intraocular tumor in children. Despite high cure rates, data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of RB survivors are limited. This study aimed to analyze parent's perspective and self-report of HRQoL of RB survivors, using healthy siblings as controls. It also evaluated the impact of socio-economic status (SES), gender, disease laterality, treatment modality, duration since diagnosis, and visual outcomes, on HRQoL. Methods: Ninety-two RB survivors were enrolled in this observational, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted at a tertiary care center. QoL was analyzed in four dimensions: physical, emotional, social, and school, using both self-report (for children >6 years) and parent proxy report (for children 2-18 years) using Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQLTM) 4.0 Generic Core Scale. Seventy-seven healthy siblings served as controls. Results: The mean age of both cohorts was 5.7 years. Thirty-six (39%) patients had bilateral RB. Of the 92 survivors, 43 (47%) had undergone enucleation. The HRQoL of RB survivors was significantly lower compared to sibling controls (P < 0.01) in all four domains, the physical domain being most affected followed by social domain. Parents reported an inferior QoL than patient's self-report. Vision <6/18 in the best eye and enucleation had a negative impact on HRQoL whilst gender, disease laterality, duration since diagnosis and SES had no impact. Conclusion: : QoL assessment is often neglected but an important aspect of survivorship. Results of our study will help in formulating awareness of the domains affected and allow timely advocacy of initiatives for addressing each issue individually. Remedial measures aimed at optimizing QoL should be incorporated as part of their rehabilitation.

Safe administration of high-dose methotrexate with minimal drug level monitoring: Experience from a center in north India.

BACKGROUND: High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is recommended to be administered with serial monitoring of methotrexate (MTX) levels, which may not be universally feasible in resource-limited settings. In this study, we evaluated the overall experience of administration of HDMTX at our center by monitoring a single drug level at 54 h from the start of MTX infusion. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed at a tertiary level hospital in north India, over a 5-year period (2011-2015). All patients <18 years of age with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and T-non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) were enrolled in the study. Details of HDMTX and all significant toxicities requiring prolonged or repeat hospitalization were retrieved from the medical records. All eligible patients received HDMTX as per the recommendations followed by at least three doses of leucovorin rescue, before drug levels were sent at 54 h. Subsequent leucovorin doses were adjusted accordingly. RESULTS: The records of 598 cycles of HDMTX in 184 patients were reviewed. A total of 531 of 598 cycles (88.7%) were managed with monitoring only a single plasma drug level at 54 h from the beginning of infusion. Delayed MTX clearance was seen in 260 of 598 cycles (43.5%). Only three episodes (0.5%) were associated with significant toxicity. There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The strategy of monitoring MTX concentration at 54 h was safe in our cohort. Although recommended, dynamic monitoring of plasma drug levels may not always predict toxicity.