Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A, B, and C in Syrian Refugee Children Newly Diagnosed With Cancer.

Adult survivors of childhood cancer have an increased incidence of hepatitis due to immunosuppression and frequent blood transfusions. The immunization of children with cancer is critical for hepatitis prevention, however, access to vaccination may be restricted during times of war, such as the Syrian armed conflict. The goal of this study was to assess the pretreatment serological status of hepatitis A, B, and C in 48 Syrian refugee children with cancer diagnosed in our center between 2014 and 2021. The control group consisted of 48 Turkish children with cancer who were age, sex, and disease-matched. Fifty-eight boys and 38 girls, with a median age of 4.8 years, were included. There were 42 patients with hematological malignancies, 20 with central nervous tumors, and 34 with other solid tumors. The frequency of hepatitis A seroprevalence was not statistically different between Syrian and Turkish patients, whereas hepatitis B seroprotectivity was found to be significantly lower in Syrian children with cancer than in Turkish children. Two Syrian patients were hepatitis C virus-positive. Thirty-seven percent and 45% of all patients were seronegative for hepatitis B and hepatitis A, respectively. Our findings support the need for hepatitis screening and, if necessary, vaccination of this vulnerable population before chemotherapy.

Vitamin D in childhood cancer: a promising anticancer agent?

Children diagnosed and treated for cancer are vulnerable to Vitamin D deficiency depending on many factors. The Vitamin D status in children with cancer has been mostly regarded as a contributory factor for skeletal pathologies so far. However, the calcitriol was found to promote cell differentiation, inhibit malignant proliferation, and exhibit antiinflammatory, proapoptotic and antiangiogenic properties. In addition to this, numerous epidemiological studies link Vitamin D and cancer and indicate to possible role of Vitamin D in cancer pathogenesis and progression. This article aims to provide an overview of the possible role of Vitamin D deficiency in childhood cancer in terms of prevention and treatment.

McCune-Albright syndrome mimicking malignancy: an endocrine disease from oncologist's perspective.

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is categorized as either monostotic or polyostotic and may occur as a component of McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). Imaging findings can mimic neoplastic diseases. We present a case of MAS initially suspected to have neoplastic disease. A 9-year-old girl was admitted to pediatric emergency with ataxia. Upon hospitalization, an extradural mass was seen on cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the bone survey showed lytic lesions in the long bones. The patient was referred to the pediatric oncology department with a presumptive diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis or metastatic tumor. Further investigations demonstrated that the patient had MAS and coexisting postinfectious cerebellitis. The findings in this patient demonstrate that the radiographic findings and the clinical presentation of FD and MAS may be similar to those of malignant diseases.