Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare disease in children, accounting for 2-3% of leukemias in this age group. Few studies have reported on efficacy of imatinib in childhood CML. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the efficacy of imatinib in children. A total of 43 patients from age 7 years to 20 years with newly diagnosed CML received imatinib daily at 260 mg/m(2). Response rates, survival and toxicity were evaluated. The median follow-up was 43 months. All patients achieved a complete hematological response. Twenty-five (58.1%) patients achieved a complete cytogenetic response and 18 (41.9%) achieved a major molecular response at any time during their follow-up period. Both overall survival and progression-free survival at 43 months' median follow-up were 100%. Event-free survival was 92.8%. Imatinib was well tolerated. We conclude that imatinib is effective in children and adolescents with CML.

Head and neck cancers comprise a heterogenous group of cancers that require a multidisciplinary approach. Last few decades have seen an increasing role of chemotherapy with intent of treatment shifting from palliation to cure. We performed a thorough search online and offline for all relevant articles of chemotherapy in head and neck cancer. Cancers of nasopharynx and salivary glands were excluded.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) comprise 1% of all cancers diagnosed worldwide with more than 40 different histological subtypes each with distinct underlying biology, natural history and response to treatment. Due to the differential chemosensitivity it is imperative to have a correct histological diagnosis for optimal treatment of these patients. Even though surgery remains the primary modality of treatment there is increasing specialization of chemotherapy with respect to histological subtype. In general there is no place for "one size fits all strategy". To correctly define the role of chemotherapy, an extensive search was carried out online and offline for all relevant articles concerning chemotherapy in soft tissue sarcoma. This review aims to discuss the evolution of chemotherapy, its present role in neoadjuvant, adjuvant, metastatic settings and exciting trends with the advent of targeted therapies.

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