Márton Szabados

Background/Objectives: The anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody dinutuximab beta has become standard of care maintenance therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) in the first-line setting and is also approved in the relapsed/refractory setting. We present a retrospective review of 37 children with HR-NB included in the Hungarian Childhood Cancer Registry who received dinutuximab beta (first-line maintenance therapy, n = 31; relapsed/refractory, n = 6). Methods: All patients received dinutuximab beta continuously over the first 10 days of each 35-day cycle, with dosing based on body surface area/weight. Five cycles were planned, with further cycles administered at the treating physician’s discretion. Results: At data cutoff, the overall disease control rate was 54.1% (20/37) (complete response, 51.4% (19/37); partial response, 0.0% (0/37), stable disease, 2.7% [1/37]); two patients (5.4%) had progressive disease, and 15 patients (40.5%) had died. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates in the overall population were 63.3% (95% confidence interval, 49.1−81.7) and 56.2% (95% confidence interval, 42.1−75.0), respectively. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events (including blood and lymphatic system disorders, hypoxia, hypotension, and capillary leak syndrome) were generally consistent with dinutuximab beta’s known safety profile. Conclusions: Dinutuximab beta was an effective immunotherapy for patients with HR-NB in routine clinical practice, with a generally manageable side effect profile.

Background: Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may experience chronic pain, contributing to psychological distress. Objective: The objective was to assess neuropsychological functions and behavioral skills in patients with JIA and identify demographic and disease-related factors influencing these outcomes. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 112 patients at the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Semmelweis University (2015–2016). Participants completed psychological assessments using the Child Behavior Checklist and Woodcock–Johnson III Tests. Examined variables included demographic (age and sex), clinical (age at diagnosis and disease activity), and treatment-related factors (therapy type and duration). Treatment groups comprised (a) combination therapy with TNF inhibitor and methotrexate (MTX) (n = 60), (b) MTX monotherapy (n = 34), and (c) TNF inhibitor monotherapy (n = 18). Results: Neuropsychological variables showed no clinically significant differences between treatment groups. These skills were unaffected by age, sex, therapy duration, or disease activity. Pathological behavioral scores were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in younger patients (p < 0.05). Conclusions: No clinically significant psychological impairments were observed in our cohort. Further research is warranted to clarify the significance of abnormal behavioral scores. Psychological care provision remains vital for improving the quality of life in JIA patients.