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Error in Table In the original publication, there was a mistake in Table 1 as published [1]. The number of patients with death was swapped between the one-hour administration group and the push administration group. The corrected Table 1 appears below. The authors state that the scientific conclusions are unaffected. This correction was approved by the Academic Editor. The original publication has also been updated.

Objective: Improved treatment landscape has led to better outcomes for paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors. As the number of survivors increase, we need to elucidate the long-term quality of life (QoL) and domains of complaints in these patients. Furthermore, the main priorities of these patients need to be clarified. We assessed long-term QoL outcomes of survivors of childhood ALL compared to matched population controls.Methods: QoL data were collected from survivors recruited in France and Belgium between 2012 and 2017, including the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the Quality of Life Systemic Inventory (QLSI). The Wilcoxon test was used to compare SF-12 scale scores between survivors and matched population controls. For the QLSI, comparisons were mainly descriptive.Results: one hundred and eighty-six survivors (mean age: 27.6 years; range: 18.1–52.8) at follow-up completed QoL measures, amongst whom 180 were matched to controls. Overall, survivors had higher QoL on all SF12 scale scores, indicating that they had better functioning compared to controls. Statistically significant differences on the SF12 were observed for Vitality, Social Functioning, Role Limitations due to Emotional Problems and Mental Health scales. QLSI outcomes suggested that survivors were happier than controls with Couple and Social Relations. Controls were unhappiest compared to survivors with Money, Love life, Self-esteem, Nutrition and Paid Work.Conclusions: our findings suggest that survivors of childhood ALL have better QoL outcomes on some domains compared to the general population, specifically around social and emotional functioning, and that they tend to prioritize their relationships more. Interventions for improving QoL outcomes, might build on existing positive experiences with family, friends and partners.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the socio-economic outcomes of survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). METHODS: Childhood ALL adult survivors, enrolled in EORTC trials between 1971 and 1998 in France and Belgium, were invited to fill out a questionnaire with information about their socio-economic situation (living with a partner, having a university degree, having a job, working part time and history of having a paid job). The outcomes were compared with two matched control populations. RESULTS: Among 1418 eligible patients, 507 (35.8%) participated, including 39 (8%) and 61 (12%) patients who received a haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and a cranial radiotherapy (CRT), respectively. The median time to follow-up was 20 years, and median age was 25 years. Survivors showed a socio-economic level at least as good as controls. HCST and CRT were associated with a higher probability of not obtaining a bachelor degree (respectively OR = 3.49, 95% CI: 1.46-8.35 and OR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.04-5.15), HSCT was associated with unemployment (OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.09-7.65) and having a relapse was associated with a higher probability of not having a partner (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.01-3.51) adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSION: Childhood ALL survivors showed a high level of socio-economic participation. HCST and CRT were associated with poorer functioning.

Study question What is the long-term impact of a high-risk gonadotoxic treatment and a testicular biopsy procedure on the gonadal development and function of pre- and pubertal boys? Summary answer There is a risk for impaired reproductive hormone levels after high-risk gonadotoxic treatment protocols, especially after conditioning therapy before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. What is known already Experimental fertility preservation programs have been started to safeguard the future fertility of pre- and pubertal boys requiring high-risk gonadotoxic treatment protocols. However, long-term follow-up studies on their gonadal development and function are rather limited. Study design, size, duration A two-center follow-up study, conducted between 2002 and 2020, evaluated the gonadal development and function of pre- and pubertal boys who have been offered immature testicular tissue banking (TTB) prior to conventional high-risk chemo- and/or radiotherapy (HR-C/R) or conditioning therapy before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (CT-HSCT). The aim is to investigate the long-term impact of a high-risk gonadotoxic treatment and the testicular biopsy procedure. Participants/materials, setting, methods A cohort of 60 pre- and pubertal boys without ongoing spermatogenesis and requiring HR-C/R or CT-HSCT were included. Exclusion criteria were testicular cancer diagnosis and hormonal substitution treatment. Testicular growth measured with a Prader orchidometer and the reproductive hormones luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and inhibin B (INHB) were analyzed after treatment completion and compared between HR-C/R and CT-HSCT treatment protocols as well as between boys accepting TTB and those refusing TTB. Main results and the role of chance Of the 60 pre- and pubertal boys included, 26 were treated by HR-C/R and 34 required CT-HSCT. TTB was accepted by 39 boys and refused by 21 boys. Most boys were prepubertal at diagnosis (87%), at treatment completion (78%) and at TTB (79%). After 5.0 (1.0-11.0) years post-treatment, most patients had normal testicular volumes (86%) and normal LH (81%), FSH (81%), testosterone (70%) and INHB (65%) serum levels. Testicular growth (P = 0.3773), LH (P = 0.4844), FSH (P = 0.1613) and INHB (P = 0.2553) were not significantly different between the treatment groups, but significantly more abnormal testosterone serum levels (P = 0.0138) were recorded after CT-HSCT (43%) compared to HR-C/R (10%). TTB had no effect on testicular growth (P > 0.9999), LH (P = 0.7186), FSH (P > 0.9999) and INHB (P = 0.7074). A significant difference for testosterone was observed between the TTB groups (P = 0.0210), but no significant difference for testosterone or the other hormones was observed when comparing the effect of the biopsy procedure within each treatment group separately. The Spearman’s correlation test reveals a significant positive correlation between patients treated by CT-HSCT and patients having chosen for TTB (P 0.9999). Limitations, reasons for caution This clinical follow-up study included a low patient number and the follow-up period was rather limited. Longer follow-up studies with a larger study population are needed to confirm these preliminary findings. Wider implications of the findings A more accurate understanding of the long-term impact of a high-risk gonadotoxic treatment and a testicular biopsy procedure on the gonadal development and function will allow better counseling of patients interested in fertility preservation and optimize selection of patients eligible for fertility preservation. Trial registration number not applicable Issue Section: Male and female fertility preservation PDF

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (pedAML) is a heterogeneous blood cancer that affects children. Although survival rates have significantly improved over the past few decades, 20–30% of children will succumb due to treatment-related toxicity or relapse. The molecular characterization of the leukemic stem cell, shown to be responsible for relapse, is needed to improve treatment options and survival. Recently, it has become clear that non-coding RNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), play a role in the development of human diseases, including pediatric cancer. Nevertheless, non-coding RNA expression data in pedAML are scarce. Here, we explored lncRNA (n = 30,168) and miRNA (n = 627) expression in pedAML subpopulations (leukemic stem cells (LSCs) and leukemic blasts (L-blasts)) and their normal counterparts (hematopoietic stem cells and control myeloblasts). The potential regulatory activity of differentially expressed lncRNAs in LSCs (unique or shared with the L-blast comparison) on miRNAs was assessed. Moreover, pre ranked gene set enrichment analyses of (anti-) correlated protein-coding genes were performed to predict the functional relevance of the differentially upregulated lncRNAs in LSCs (unique or shared with the L-blast comparison). In conclusion, this study provides a catalog of non-coding RNAs with a potential role in the pathogenesis of pedAML, paving the way for further translational research studies.

Additional file 2. Content of BOOST pACP intervention materials.

Additional file 1. Evolution of specifications and adaptations to the BOOST pACP intervention components.

Additional file 3. Illustrative quotes from adolescents and parents who participated in the feasibility test (families n=3), on the BOOST pACP core components.