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Gastrointestinal tract carcinoma in pediatric and adolescent age: The Italian TREP project experience
Author(s) -
Indini Alice,
Bisogno Gianni,
Cecchetto Giovanni,
Vitellaro Marco,
Signoroni Stefano,
Massimino Maura,
Riccipetitoni Giovanna,
Zecca Marco,
Dall'Igna Patrizia,
De Pasquale Maria Debora,
Inserra Alessandro,
Chiaravalli Stefano,
Basso Eleonora,
Virgone Calogero,
Sorbara Silvia,
Bartolomeo Maria,
D'Angelo Paolo,
Ferrari Andrea
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.26658
Subject(s) - medicine , gastrointestinal tract , pediatrics , oncology
Background Gastrointestinal (GI) carcinomas are very rare in the pediatric and adolescent age range. We report the clinical features, treatment, and outcome of a series of children and adolescents with GI carcinoma prospectively registered in the Italian Tumori Rari in Età Pediatrica (TREP) project. Methods The TREP project developed diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines based on recommendations currently in use for adults. Clinical data were centrally registered and reviewed. Results Fifteen patients were registered over the years 2000–2016. Most of the tumors were colorectal carcinomas (12 cases). All but one patient had advanced‐stage disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer stages III–IV), and the majority of patients had aggressive histological subtypes, i.e. poorly differentiated (G3) (five patients), mucinous (four patients), and signet ring (two patients) adenocarcinomas. Surgery was performed in 13 of 15 patients, and was radical in nine of 13 patients. Only one patient received postoperative radiotherapy. All patients received chemotherapy, with the addition of bevacizumab in two cases. Nine patients were still alive at the time of the present report, but two of them had only just completed their treatment program and one patient is still on treatment. Six patients died due to disease progression. Conclusions This prospective report on pediatric GI tract carcinomas confirms the rarity and biological aggressiveness of these diseases in pediatric and adolescent age. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the distinct biology of tumor in this age group in order to find new therapeutic targeted agents.