Special Articles

2.　Pediatric radiology in childhood cancer :Present situation and future prospects

Eiso Hiyama
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hiroshima University Hospital

Abstract

　Radiation diagnosis and radiation therapy are indispensable tools for diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer. In this review, I introduce the present situation and future prospects of radiological fields concerning childhood cancers in the Japanese Society of Pediatric Oncology. In the radiation diagnosis for neuroblastoma, IDRF（Image Defined Risk Factors）will be introduced in risk grouping and 123I-MIBG scintigraphy is an extremely useful tool for diagnosis. In hepatoblastoma, POSTEXT staging will be also introduced in the evaluation for chemotherapeutic reaction and indication for liver transplantation. In radiation therapy for childhood solid cancers, a standard guideline will be proposed for neuroblastoma, nephroblastoma, rabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and retinoblastoma. Pediatric radiologists and pediatric oncologists should collaborate in improving the survival rates of patients with pediatric cancer and diminishing the complications of radiotherapy in these patients.

Keywords：Pediatric cancer, Diagnosis, Radiotherapy