NRCs arise from midline structures in young people, and NRCs with BRD4-NUT are highly lethal, despite intensive therapies. NUT-variant carcinomas might have a less fulminant clinical course than those with BRD4-NUT fusions. CD34 expression is characteristic in NRCs and, therefore, holds promise as a diagnostic test for this distinctive clinicopathologic entity.

Some previous studies have suggested that home pesticide exposure before birth and during a child's early years may increase the risk of childhood leukemia. To further investigate this, we pooled individual level data from 12 case-control studies in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium (CLIC). Exposure data were harmonized into compatible formats. Pooled analyses were undertaken using multivariable unconditional logistic regression. The odds ratio (ORs) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) associated with any pesticide exposure shortly before conception, during pregnancy and after birth were 1.39 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25, 1.55) (using (2,785 cases, 3635 controls), 1.43 (95% CI 1.32, 1.54) (5,055 cases, 7,370 controls) and 1.36 (95% CI 1.23, 1.51) (4,162 cases 5,179 controls), respectively. Corresponding ORs for risk of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) were 1.49 (95% CI 1.02, 2.16) (173 cases, 1,789 controls), 1.55 (95% CI 1.21, 1.99) (344 cases, 4,666 controls) and 1.08 (95% CI 0.76, 1.53) (198 cases, 2,655 controls) respectively. There was little difference by type of pesticide used. The relative similarity in ORs between leukaemia types, time periods and pesticide types may be explained by similar exposure patterns and effects across the time periods in ALL and AML, participants’ exposure to multiple pesticides, or recall bias. Although some recall bias is likely, until a better study design can be found to investigate associations between home pesticide use and childhood leukaemia in an equally large sample, it would appear prudent to limit the use of home pesticides before and during pregnancy, and during childhood.

Recently it was discovered that a transient activation of transcription factor NF-κB can give cells properties essential for invasiveness and cancer initiating potential. In contrast, most oncogenes to date were characterized on the basis of mutations or by their constitutive overexpression. Study of NF-κB actually leads to a far more dynamic perspective on cancer: tumors caused by diverse oncogenes apparently evolve into cancer after loss of feedback regulation for NF-κB. This event alters the cellular phenotype and the expression of hormonal mediators, modifying signals between diverse cell types in a tissue. The result is a disruption of stem cell hierarchy in the tissue, and pervasive changes in the microenvironment and immune response to the malignant cells.

Children with lower SES suffering childhood leukemia do not seem to equally enjoy the impressive recent survival gains. Special health policy strategies and increased awareness of health providers might minimize the effects of socioeconomic disparities.

Background Maternal prenatal supplementation with folic acid and other vitamins has been inconsistently associated with a reduced risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Little is known regarding the association with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a rarer subtype. Methods We obtained original data on prenatal use of folic acid and vitamins from 12 case-control studies participating in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium (enrollment period: 1980-2012), including 6,963 cases of ALL, 585 cases of AML, and 11,635 controls. Logistic regression was used to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for child's age, sex, ethnicity, parental education, and study center. Results Maternal supplements taken any time preconception and/or during pregnancy were associated with a reduced risk of childhood ALL; ORs for vitamin and folic acid use were 0.85 (95% CI: 0.78-0.92) and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.71-0.89) respectively. The reduced risk was more pronounced in children whose parents' education was below tertiary level. The analyses for AML led to somewhat unstable estimates; ORs= 0.92 (95% CI: 0.75-1.14) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.48-0.96) for prenatal vitamins and folic acid, respectively. There was no strong evidence that risks of ALL or AML varied by period of supplementation (preconception, pregnancy, or trimester). Conclusions Our results, based on the largest number of childhood leukemia cases to date, suggest that maternal prenatal use of vitamins and folic acid reduces the risk of ALL and AML, and that the observed association with ALL varies by parental education, a surrogate for lifestyle and socio-demographic characteristics.

IVF seems to be associated with increased risk of early onset ALL in the offspring.

Young survivors of childhood ALL, especially those treated with cranial irradiation, are at risk for obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, and the full DS early after the completion of therapy.

During the last decade research is gradually repositioning the antimalarial drug chloroquine, and certain related quinoline derivatives, as anticancer agents. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, in particular, have relatively well-characterized toxicity profiles due to several decades of use for treatment of malaria. Previously published review articles provide an excellent overview of the diversity of chloroquine effects on cancer cells, both in the cell culture as well as on human tumors grafted into mice; and an account of the increasing pace of incorporation of hydroxychloroquine in combination treatment schemes for clinical studies. In this review we present some features that are common between cancers that are sensitive to quinoline derivatives, in particular features that are amenable to pharmaceutical intervention.