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Beneficial health effects of ultraviolet radiation: expert review and conference reportCarcinogenic effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) with reference to skin cancer are the basis of widely implemented recommendations to avoid sun exposure. Whether the benefits of "restrictive sun policies" outweigh their potential harms due to diminished beneficial effects of sunlight exposure remain a matter of controversy.
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Verschlimmbesserung: Craniospinal Radiotherapy Is Essential in WNT Medulloblastoma PatientsStandard-risk WNT medulloblastoma patients have an excellent prognosis using the combination of standard dose craniospinal radiotherapy (CSI) followed by platinum and alkylator based chemotherapy. A recent pilot study that attempted to completely omit radiotherapy was terminated early as all patients relapsed rapidly. The study highlights that therapy is the most important prognostic factor, with CSI still required to cure even the most favorable subgroup of medulloblastoma patients.
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Intravascular Tumor Extension and Pulmonary Tumor Embolism in Children With Solid Malignancies: Is There a Role for Inferior Vena Cava Filters?Intravascular tumor extension is an uncommon complication of solid malignancies that, when present in the inferior vena cava (IVC), can result in fatal pulmonary tumor embolism. Currently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery are the mainstays of treatment; however, there are no consensus guidelines for management.
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Temporal changes in childhood cancer incidence and survival by stage at diagnosis in Australia, 2000–2017The Toronto Paediatric Cancer Stage Guidelines are a compendium of staging systems developed to facilitate collection of consistent and comparable data on stage at diagnosis for childhood cancers by cancer registries.
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Multiomic neuropathology improves diagnostic accuracy in pediatric neuro-oncologyThe large diversity of central nervous system (CNS) tumor types in children and adolescents results in disparate patient outcomes and renders accurate diagnosis challenging. In this study, we prospectively integrated DNA methylation profiling and targeted gene panel sequencing with blinded neuropathological reference diagnostics for a population-based cohort of more than 1,200 newly diagnosed pediatric patients with CNS tumors, to assess their utility in routine neuropathology.
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COVID-19 vaccination in children and adolescents aged 5 years and older undergoing treatment for cancer and non-malignant haematological conditions: Australian and New Zealand Children’s Haematology/Oncology Group consensus statementThe Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and New Zealand Ministry of Health recommend all children aged ≥ 5 years receive either of the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines: Comirnaty (Pfizer), available in both Australia and New Zealand, or Spikevax (Moderna), available in Australia only. Both vaccines are efficacious and safe in the general population, including children. Children and adolescents undergoing treatment for cancer and immunosuppressive therapy for non-malignant haematological conditions are particularly vulnerable, with an increased risk of severe or fatal COVID-19.
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Parents' Experiences of Childhood Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian PerspectiveCOVID-19 has had far-reaching impacts including changes in work, travel, social structures, education, and healthcare. This study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children receiving treatment for cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Clinical phenotypes and prognostic features of embryonal tumours with multi-layered rosettes: a Rare Brain Tumor Registry studyEmbryonal tumours with multi-layered rosettes (ETMRs) are a newly recognised, rare paediatric brain tumour with alterations of the C19MC microRNA locus. Due to varied diagnostic practices and scarce clinical data, disease features and determinants of outcomes for these tumours are poorly defined. We did an integrated clinicopathological and molecular analysis of primary ETMRs to define clinical phenotypes, and to identify prognostic factors of survival and key treatment modalities for this orphan disease.
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Estimating measures to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Australia to guide a ‘National Plan’ to reopeningThe availability of COVID-19 vaccines promised a reduction in the severity of disease and relief from the strict public health and social measures (PHSMs) imposed in many countries to limit spread and burden of COVID-19. We were asked to define vaccine coverage thresholds for Australia's transition to easing restrictions and reopening international borders.
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Standardization of epidemiological surveillance of group A Streptococcal cellulitisCellulitis is an acute bacterial infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue usually found complicating a wound, ulcer, or dermatosis. This article provides guidelines for the surveillance of cellulitis.