A paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) is a set of symptoms and signs that can accompany the formation of a cancer but is not due to its direct infiltration or metastasis. PNS results from the secretion of peptides or hormones by tumor cells or from an immunological cross-reaction between the tumor antigens and host antigens. In the adult population, PNS affects up to 15% of patients with cancer, but data on pediatric patients remain lacking. The remarkable fact is that PNS can precede an oncology diagnosis, even by months or years. PNS can involve virtually any organ of the human body. In children, the most commonly involved are the nervous system (encephalitis, opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome), skin (pemphigus, alopecia areata, pruritic skin, pyoderma gangrenosum, skin nevi), rheumatologic (dermatomyositis, vasculitis), liver (atrophic biliary syndrome, idiopathic cholestasis), endocrine system (hypercalcemia, syndrome of inadequate secretion of antidiuretic hormone), kidney (nephrotic syndrome), or hematopoietic system (hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, eosinophilia, thrombotic macroangiopathy, leukomoid reaction). PNS can accompany all childhood cancers, but is most common in Hodgkin lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic and myeloid leukemia, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, and sarcoma. Diagnosis of PNS should begin as early as the suspicion of its unusual course, lack of response to standard treatment, or prolonged duration. Diagnosis should include typical disease-specific tests and simultaneous imaging of the head and neck, abdomen, and pelvis, as well as a bone marrow biopsy to look for malignancy. PNS treatment mainly includes anti-tumor therapy and sometimes additional immunosuppressive therapy. This article aims to review PNS in children with malignancy.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy in the world and accounts for 15% of primary hemocytopathies, with an ever-increasing number of new cases. It is asymptomatic in 30% of instances; hence, the determination of highly sensitive and specific markers is necessary to make a proper diagnosis. In the last 20 years, miRNAs, involved in regulating the expression of genes responsible for cell proliferation and differentiation, including tumor cells, have been identified as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers. The main aim of the following review was to outline the role of miRNAs in the diagnosis and prognosis of MM, considering their role in the pathogenesis of the disease and identifying their target genes and pathways. For this purpose, publications dating from 2013–2023 have been reviewed. Based on the available data, it is concluded that non-coding RNAs including miRNAs could be potential markers in MM. Furthermore, they may serve as therapeutic targets for certain drugs.

Background: Hyperleukocytosis, defined as a total leukocyte count of more than 50,000/mm³ leukocytes, occurs in almost one in five children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It represents an unfavorable prognostic factor in this disease. The aim of the following study was to describe demographic and clinical features in patients with hyperleukocytosis and their relationship with leukocyte count. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the available medical data of patients with ALL diagnosed and treated at the University Children’s Hospital in Lublin between 2017 and 2024. Results: Of the 97 patients, 10 (10.3%) had hyperleukocytosis. They were significantly more likely to be older boys diagnosed with T-ALL. The group with hyperleukocytosis had a higher mortality rate. The presence of hyperleukocytosis also correlated with the presence of petechiae, thrombocyte and neutrophil counts, and LDH activity. Patients with hyperleukocytosis also experienced a higher incidence of infections as a complication of therapy as leukocyte counts increased. Conclusions: Hyperleukocytosis, although rare, is an important factor in the course of ALL, both clinically and prognostically.

Port-site metastasis (PSM) is an infrequent and serious complication of laparoscopic treatment. The incidence of PSM is 0.16– 2.3% of patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic malignancies. Depending on the place of origin of the malignant tumor, PSM appears on average the earliest after ovarian cancer treatment and the latest after vaginal cancer surgery. To date, several important risk factors have been identified. Hypotheses such as wound contamination, hematogenous and lymphatic spread, immune response and CO2 pneumoperitoneum have been formulated as possible agents influencing the occurrence of PSM. Overall survival (OS) is a particularly important issue from the standpoint of the person performing the procedure and the patient. OS may be influenced by the histological type of cancer, its origin in the body, the method of treatment, as well as the type of PSM and the time of its occurrence after the end of therapy. Patients with PSM require local or systemic treatment, as well as consideration of complementary therapy. There are theories indicating that appropriate preoperative management in patients with gynecological malignancies can prevent the occurrence of PSM. Despite enormous laparoscopy development over the last 20 years, a complication such as PSM still leaves many unknowns and therefore causes difficulties in therapeutic procedures. Each patient should be closely monitored before and after the laparoscopic procedure to exclude potential factors for the occurrence of PSM and its possible post-procedure diagnosis. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the person performing laparoscopy to accomplish the procedure as precisely as possible to minimize the risk of this complication. The main aim of the following review is to present the phenomenon of PSM in gynecologic oncology, its epidemiology, pathogenesis and possible consequences for the prognosis of the patient.

Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous group of disorders, characterized by accumulation of clonal mast cells which can infiltrate several organs, most often spine (70%). The pathogenesis of mastocytosis bone disease is poorly understood. The main aim of the study was to investigate whether neoplastic mast cells may be the source of sclerostin and whether there is an association between sclerostin and selected bone remodeling markers with mastocytosis related bone disease. We assessed sclerostin, bioactive sclerostin, and SOST gene expression in HMC-1.2 human mast cell culture supernatants and plasma of SM patients (n = 39). We showed that human mast cells can secrete sclerostin, and after their stimulation with IL-6, there is a significant increase in SOST gene expression. We observed significantly higher levels of sclerostin in patients diagnosed with more advanced disease. We observed a statistically significant correlation between concentations of sclerostin and its bioactive form and the concentration of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and between sclerostin and interleukin-6 (IL-6). We observed that significantly higher sclerostin concentrations are present in patients with increased sclerosis of the spongy bone. Sclerostin may serve as a marker of more advanced disease and bone disease in mastocytosis. Further studies are justified to evaluate its role in mastocytosis.

Background/Objectives: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, accounting for 80% of leukemias in this group and about 25% of all cancers. The 5-year survival rate is now over 90%. Achieving such a good outcome is made possible by the introduction of intensive, high-dose chemotherapy. However, it is associated with numerous complications, affecting up to 80% of patients. Among the most common of these are infections and intestinal, hepatic, hematological or neurological complications. For their effective treatment and prevention, it is necessary to develop predictors. High hopes in this aspect are placed on miRNAs. The aim of the following paper is to present the role of miRNAs as predictors of chemotherapy complications in children with ALL. Methods: A systematic review of the available literature in the PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar scientific databases was conducted. Fourteen publications were included in the analysis. Results: Changes in miRNA expression and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in miRNAs are associated with complications of ALL therapy. Among the most notable are miR-1206 (in mucositis and myelotoxicity), miR-2053 (in neurotoxicity and mucositis), miR-938 and miR-3117 (in gastrointestinal toxicity and neurotoxicity), miR-1307 (in gastrointestinal toxicity and mucositis) and miR-323b (in gastrointestinal toxicity and myelotoxicity). In addition, miR-155, miR-3117 and miR-4268 may be potential therapeutic targets in complications of ALL therapy. Conclusions: miRNAs are good potential predictors of ALL chemotherapy toxicity and may be therapeutic targets in these complications.