Background Dexamethasone contributes to high cure rates in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) but significantly and adversely alters sleep and fatigue. Herein we explored three mechanisms (pharmacokinetics, serum albumin, and pharmacogenetics) through which dexamethasone may cause debilitating fatigue and disrupted sleep. Methods We enrolled 100 patients on a 10-day study: 5 days of no dexamethasone (OFF DEX) followed by 5 days of dexamethasone (ON DEX) during continuation chemotherapy. Sleep variables were collected with continuous actigraphy on Days 1 through 5, both OFF DEX and ON DEX. On Days 2 and 5 of each 5-day period, parents and patients 7 years of age and older completed a sleep diary and Fatigue Scale questionnaire. Blood was collected at 0 (pre-dexamethasone), 1, 2, 4, and 8 hours after the first oral dexamethasone dose for pharmacokinetic analysis. Serum albumin concentration was retrospectively analyzed in stored samples. Patient DNA was genotyped for 99 polymorphic loci in candidate genes associated with glucocorticoid metabolism. Results Dexamethasone clearance was significantly greater in younger patients than in older ones and in lower risk patients. In multiple regression models, risk group was significantly related to pharmacokinetic parameters. We found that polymorphisms in three genes (AHSG, IL6, POLDIP3) were significantly associated with sleep measures but not fatigue. Conclusion Risk group had the most significant relationship with disrupted sleep in patients while on dexamethasone. Serum albumin levels had neither a direct relationship with sleep or fatigue variables nor an indirect relationship through systemic exposure to dexamethasone. We identified candidate genes that may help explain the adverse events of disrupted sleep in pediatric patients receiving dexamethasone.

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Fatigue is one of the most debilitating conditions associated with cancer and anticancer therapy. The lack of reliable and valid self-report instruments has prevented accurate assessment of fatigue in pediatric oncology patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the most sensitive and specific score, i.e., the "cut score," on the Fatigue Scale-Child (FS-C) to identify those children with high cancer-related fatigue in need of clinical intervention. We first used Rasch methods to identify the items on the FS-C that distinguished children with high cancer-related fatigue from other children; our findings indicated that the FS-C needed to be reduced from 14 items to 10 items. We then assessed the 10-item FS-C for its psychometric properties and applied the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis to the FS-C responses from 221 children (aged 7-12 years) receiving anticancer treatment. The cut score identified with 75% sensitivity and 73.5% specificity was 12; 73 (33%) patients scored 12 or higher. Findings from this validated instrument provide a needed guide for clinicians to interpret fatigue scores and provide clinical interventions for this debilitating condition to their pediatric patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Stage I epithelial-predominant favorable-histology Wilms tumors (EFHWTs) have long been suspected to have an excellent outcome. This study investigates the clinical and pathologic features of patients with stage I EFHWTs to better evaluate the potential for a reduction of chemotherapy and its associated toxicity. METHODS: All patients registered in the Children's Oncology Group (COG) AREN03B2 study between 2006 and 2017 with stage I EFHWTs were identified. EFHWTs were defined as tumors with at least 66% epithelial differentiation, regardless of the degree of differentiation. Clinical information was abstracted from COG records. Event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated and compared between groups based on age and therapy. RESULTS: The 4-year EFS rate was 96.2% (95% confidence interval, 92%-100%), and the OS rate was 100%; EFS and OS did not statistically significantly differ with the age at diagnosis (<48 vs ≥48 months; P = .37) or treatment (EE4A vs observation only; P = .55). Six events were reported. Three patients developed contralateral tumors and did not otherwise relapse; none of these had nephrogenic rests or a recognized predisposition syndrome. Three patients developed metastatic recurrence; all 3 had received EE4A as their primary therapy after nephrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate an excellent outcome for stage I EFHWTs with >95% EFS and OS. These data support the utility of investigating the treatment of stage I EFHWTs with observation alone after nephrectomy. Cancer 2020;126: 2866-2871.

Disturbed sleep among pediatric patients with cancer is multifactoral and includes interactions among environment, medications, and genotype. Additional research should explore serum proinflammatory cytokine levels and the influence of mood and worry on sleep.