Nonlymphoid gastrointestinal malignancies in Turkish children

Our plain-English summary of Nonlymphoid gastrointestinal malignancies in Turkish children, by M. Büyükpamukçu, S. Berberoğlu, N. Büyükpamukçu, et al (Medical and Pediatric Oncology, 1996).

The study

• Authors: M. Büyükpamukçu, S. Berberoğlu, N. Büyükpamukçu, F. Sarialioğlu, G. Kale, C. Akyüz, T. Kutluk
• Journal: Medical and Pediatric Oncology
• Published: 1996;26(1):28-35
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Nonlymphoid gastrointestinal malignancies are not frequently encountered malignant tumors of childhood. From 1972 to 1994, at Hacettepe University Children's Hospital, there were 6,774 malignant tumors encountered in patients from birth to age 17. Thirty-five of them (0.5%) originated from the gastrointestinal tract. There were five carcinoid tumors, four pancreas tumors (two were solid-cystic tumors), four APUD-omas, three leiomyosarcomas, one mesothelioma, two carcinomas of the stomach and duodenum, and 16 colon and rectum carcinomas (12 were mucin-producing). These rare tumors are discussed according to the characteristics of the patients, therapy modalities applied, and outcome of the patients.

In plain English

This article was a retrospective review of 22 years of experience at the Pediatric Oncology Unit of Hacettepe University in Turkey. From 1972 to 1994 the children's hospital saw 6,774 malignant tumors in patients from birth to age 17. Of these, 35 (0.5%) arose in the gastrointestinal tract. They included five carcinoid tumors, four pancreatic tumors, four APUDomas, three leiomyosarcomas, one mesothelioma, two stomach and duodenal carcinomas, and 16 colon and rectum carcinomas. The one mesothelioma was a malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in a 15-year-old boy. A 10 cm tumor arising from the omentum was removed and chemotherapy was started, but he was lost to follow-up. The study did not report asbestos exposure for any patient. Of the 16 colorectal cancer patients, 12 had mucin-producing tumors and 12 had Dukes' stage D disease. Median survival was 6 months among those who could be followed. The authors concluded that, although rare, these cancers should not be ruled out in children on the basis of age alone.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Retrospective review of one hospital's pediatric cancer cases (case series)
• Who was studied: 35 children and adolescents (birth to age 17) with nonlymphoid gastrointestinal malignancies, out of 6,774 malignant tumors seen at Hacettepe University Children's Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, from 1972 to 1994
• Exposure: No asbestos or other exposure was studied. The article describes tumor types, treatment and outcomes only.
• Main results:
  • One malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, in a 15-year-old boy with abdominal pain and distention. A 10 cm tumor arising from the omentum was excised with omentectomy. Chemotherapy was started, but the patient was lost to follow-up.
  • Carcinoid tumors (5 patients): four were in the appendix and received no therapy after appendectomy. One patient with a malignant carcinoid tumor died of recurrent disease within 15 months.
  • Leiomyosarcomas (3 patients): apart from the most recently diagnosed patient, the patients died of progressive disease.
  • Colorectal carcinoma (16 patients): 12 of 16 had mucin-producing adenocarcinoma.
  • Colorectal carcinoma: 4 patients had Dukes' stage C and 12 had stage D disease. Median survival was 6 months among patients who could be followed.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, although rare, nonlymphoid gastrointestinal malignancies should not be excluded from diagnosis in children on the basis of age alone.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Gastroenteropancreatic hormone levels could not be measured in the APUDoma patients because of limited laboratory facilities in earlier years.
  • No colorectal cancer patient could be followed long enough to assess long-term survival or the effects of chemotherapy.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Carcinoma.

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