Thromboembolism frequently occurs during acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy. We prospectively registered thromboembolic events during the treatment of 1772 consecutive Nordic/Baltic patients with ALL aged 1 to 45 years who were treated according to the Nordic Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology ALL2008 protocol (July 2008-April 2017). The 2.5-year cumulative incidence of thromboembolism (N = 137) was 7.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.6-9.1); it was higher in patients aged at least 10 years ( < .0001). Adjusted hazard ratios (HRas) were associated with greater age (range, 10.0-17.9 years: HRa, 4.9 [95% CI, 3.1-7.8; < .0001]; 18.0-45.9 years: HRa, 6.06 [95% CI, 3.65-10.1; < .0001]) and mediastinal mass at ALL diagnosis (HRa, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.0-4.3; = .04). In a multiple absolute risk regression model addressing 3 thromboembolism risk factors, age at least 10 years had the largest absolute risk ratio (RR, 4.7 [95% CI, 3.1-7.1]; RR, 2.0 [95% CI, 1.2-3.1]; RR, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.0-2.6]). Patients aged 18.0 to 45.9 years had an increased hazard of pulmonary embolism (HRa, 11.6; 95% CI, 4.02-33.7; < .0001), and patients aged 10.0 to 17.9 years had an increased hazard of cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (HRa, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.5-7.3; = .003) compared with children younger than 10.0 years. Asparaginase was truncated in 38/128 patients with thromboembolism, whereas thromboembolism diagnosis was unassociated with increased hazard of relapse ( = .6). Five deaths were attributable to thromboembolism, and patients younger than 18.0 years with thromboembolism had increased hazard of dying compared with same-aged patients without thromboembolism (both ≤ .01). In conclusion, patients aged at least 10 years could be candidates for preemptive antithrombotic prophylaxis. However, the predictive value of age 10 years or older, enlarged lymph nodes, and mediastinal mass remain to be validated in another cohort.

We provide a detailed phenotype of patients with ALL with symptomatic ON, including description of risk factors and timing of ON across age groups. This awareness is essential in exploring measures to prevent development of ON.

BackgroundMental disorders are notably prevalent in children with chronic illnesses, whereas a lack of access to psychological support might lead to potential mental health problems or disruptions in treatment. Digitally delivered psychological interventions have shown promising results as a supportive treatment measure for improving health outcomes during chronic illness.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the usability, acceptability, and feasibility of providing psychological and treatment support in a clinical setting via a mobile game environment. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of the mobile health game.MethodsPatients aged 7 to 14 years with less than a year from their diagnosis were eligible to participate in the study. In total, 15 patients were invited to participate by their doctor. A total of 9 patients (age range: 7-12 years; mean age 9.1 years) completed the 60-day-long study in which the Triumf mobile health game was delivered as a digital intervention. In an engaging game environment, patients were offered psychological and treatment support, cognitive challenges, and disease-specific information. The fully digital intervention was followed by a qualitative interview conducted by a trained psychologist. The results of the interview were analyzed in conjunction with patient specific in-game qualitative data. Ethical approval was obtained to conduct the study.ResultsPatients positively perceived the game, resulting in high usability and acceptability evaluations. Participants unanimously described the game as easy to use and engaging in terms of gamified activities, while also providing beneficial and trustworthy information. Furthermore, the overall positive evaluation was emphasized by an observed tendency to carry on gaming post study culmination (67%, 10/15). Psychological support and mini games were the most often used components of the game, simultaneously the participants also highlighted the education module as one of the most preferred. On average, the patients sought and received psychological support or education on 66.6 occasions during the 60-day intervention. Participants spent the most time collecting items from the city environment (on average 15.6 days, SD 8.1), indicative of exploratory behavior, based on the quantitative in-game collected data. During the intervention period, we observed a statistically significant decrease in general health problems (P=.003) and saw a trend toward a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that a game environment could be a promising medium for delivering comprehensive supportive care to pediatric patients with cancer alongside standard treatment, with potential application across a variety of chronic conditions. Importantly, the results indicate that the study protocol was feasible with modifications to randomized controlled trials, and the game could be considered applicable in a clinical context. By giving an empirical evaluation of delivering psychological support v...

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Background: Childhood cancers represent a small proportion of all cancers but are still a major public health problem. The study analysed long-term trends in childhood cancer incidence and survival in Estonia in relation to societal and health care transition. Methods: Data on all malignant tumours, diagnosed in children aged 0-14 during 1970-2016, were derived from the Estonian Cancer Registry. Age-standardised (World standard) incidence rates were calculated by ICCC-3 site groups and joinpoint regression was used to estimate annual percentage change (APC) for incidence trends. Cohort and period approach were used to estimate 5-year survival. Internal age standardisation was applied. Results: A total of 1628 incident cancer cases were diagnosed during the study period and overall incidence increased significantly at a rate of 0.5% per year. Significant increases were seen for neuroblastoma and germ cell tumours, for lymphoid leukemias and some CNS sub-sites. At the same time, decline in incidence was seen in almost all subgroups of unspecified neoplasms. The overall 5-year survival improved from 24% in 1970-1979 to 73% in 2010-2016, with the largest changes occurring in the 1990s and 2000s. For many sites, survival increase thereafter has been marginal. Conclusion: In this first comprehensive population-based study of childhood cancer incidence and survival in Estonia, long-term trends are shown in the context of societal and health care changes. Even though the increasing incidence of some sites may, at least partially, be explained by improved diagnostics reflected in the decreased incidence of unspecified neoplasms, the overall cancer incidence in children seems to be rising. Rapid progress in diagnosis and care have improved childhood cancer survival immensely, but deficit in Estonia persists compared to other European countries. Results of the study accentuate the need for a more in-depth analysis of clinical data, but also for the prioritization of childhood cancer in Estonia, to ensure access to standard care and innovative treatments.