title: Experience with "second-look" operations in pediatric solid tumors.
abstract: "Second-look" operations were performed in 32 infants and children with initially unresectable or recurrent solid tumors treated with combination chemotherapy and/or irradiation. Tumors were resectable in 26 of 32 cases (81%). These procedures often yielded information affecting staging and treatment. Disease-free survival was achieved in 18 of 32 patients (56%). Mortality was related to progressive disease in seven cases and opportunistic infections due to immunosuppression in three. Four additional patients are alive with evidence of persistent tumor. Second-look procedures were beneficial in patients with Wilms' tumor previously operated upon by a flank approach and in children with bilateral tumors. These procedures were particularly useful in children with stage III localized neuroblastoma and cases of metastatic neuroblastoma that respond to chemotherapy. Second-look operations were also useful in selected cases of rhabdomyosarcoma, teratoma, and Ewing's sarcoma. These observations suggest that combination chemotherapy has increased the use of second-look operations in a variety of less favorable (e.g. initially unresectable or recurrent) pediatric solid tumors.
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000601:surgery; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000601:surgery; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000601:surgery; D013724:Teratoma / Q000601:surgery; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents