Shuhei Yajima

Analysis of the circumstances at the end of life in children with cancer: Symptoms, suffering and acceptance

Abstract Background : In an effort to improve the quality of life of children with cancer, this study analyzes the signs and symptoms at the end of life in such children. It is hoped that these data will contribute to the development of appropriate programs to address the challenges faced by these children.

Analysis of the circumstances at the end of life in children with cancer: A single institution's experience in Japan

Abstract Background : With the aim of improving the quality of life of children with cancer, this study presents an analysis of one hospitals experience with terminal care.

Successful unrelated bone marrow transplantation for a patient with chronic granulomatous disease and associated resistant pneumonitis and Aspergillus osteomyelitis

We describe the successful treatment of a 20-year-old patient with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), by unrelated bone marrow transplantation (UBMT). The patient is relatively old compared to other CGD patients treated with BMT. He had had repeated serious infections from early childhood and was diagnosed as CGD, gp91-phox deficiency. Prolonged antibiotic-resistant pneumonitis worsened when the patient was 18 years old. In addition, he suffered Aspergillus osteomyelitis and acute renal failure due to amphotericin B. He received 94 granulocyte transfusions from 94 adult donors and the infections gradually improved. In September 1998, at 20 years of age, he underwent UBMT from an HLA 6 antigen-matched male donor, with CY and TBI conditioning. He received MTX and CsA as prophylaxis against GVHD. No serious complications occurred and rapid engraftment was achieved. Acute GVHD (grade 2, at day 19) and chronic GVHD (limited, at day 192) occurred. However, both were easily controlled. The patient is alive and well with no late rejection 26 months after UBMT. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 28, 83–87.

Two Groups of Philadelphia Chromosome—Positive Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Classified by Pretreatment Multidrug Sensitivity or Resistance in In Vitro Testing

The development of effective chemotherapy is imperative for children with Philadelphia chromosome—positive (Ph) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) because of the poor prognosis of this condition. Initial cellular drug resistance is thought to be an important cause of induction failure and early relapse.We carried out in vitro tests using a methyl-thiazol-tetrazolium assay on bone marrow samples from 274 children with newly diagnosed ALL. Sixteen children (5.8%) had Ph-positive results of cytogenetic analysis. We examined in vitro drug resistance to 14 agents and found that leukemic cells in Ph ALL were significantly more resistant than were cells in non-Ph ALL to melphalan, bleomycin, etoposide, mitoxantrone, L-asparaginase, and vinblastine. With the prednisolone, L-asparaginase, and vincristine (PAV) combination of drugs, 10 of the 16 Ph patients with ALL (62.5%) showed relative resistance (RR) (sensitivity to only 1 or to none of the 3 drugs) at initiation of treatment.These 10 patients experienced significantly poorer event-free survival (EFS) than did the 6 patients with supersensitivity (SS) (defined as sensitivity to all 3 or to 2 of the 3 drugs,P = .019). Leukemic cells from RR patients were found to be multiresistant to 12 drugs with 2.0- to 58.4-fold RR compared with cells from SS patients. This PAV sensitivity delineates initially sensitive and resistant groups. Of these, the SS subgroup of Ph ALL patients may be curable with chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. For EFS improvement in the RR group, it may be necessary to use a new chemotherapy approach from initiation.

Analysis of the circumstances of death of 56 children suffering from cancer: Proposal for the development of terminal medicine in Japan

In Japan terminal medicine for children dying from cancer has not yet been developed nor has a support system for home terminal care and bereaved families been established. We have analyzed our own experiences in these areas and researched the possibilities of establishing support systems.

Angiotensin‐Induced Hypertension Chemotherapy in Children with Advanced Solid Tumors

Angiotensin‐induced hypertension chemotherapy (IHC) was investigated in six children with the following advanced malignancies: hepatocellular carcinoma, extraskeletal Ewings sarcoma, sacrococcygeal malignant teratoma, small round cell tumor of the chest wall, hepatoblastoma and osteogenic sarcoma. Partial response was achieved in three of these patients, two showed no change, and in one IHC was used as adjuvant chemotherapy. The side effects of IHC were minimal and tolerable. Angiotensin‐IHC may provide a new approach to pediatric cancer chemotherapy.