Trial Information

Melanocytic-Nevi-Counts During Chemotherapy of Children With Malignancies.

Objectives:

Patients given chemotherapy because of different malignancies have an increased
susceptibility to cutaneous tumours and infection and a change of number of nevi during
treatment is discussed. We investigated wether total nevi count changes in children
undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore 16 (8m, 8f) children suffering from leukaemia (11),
lymphoma (2), adenosarcoma of the kidney (1), Ewing´s sarcoma (1) and neuroblastoma (1) aged
between 2 and 17 years (median:8 years), under chemotherapy at the pediatric department of
oncology, were examined at the beginning and 9-12 months after starting chemotherapy. As
control group age and sex matched children of the local population were used.

Materials and Methods:

At the beginning of chemotherapy the nevi were counted on the total body. All nevi were
larger in diameter than 1mm and as melanocytic lesion identifiable. Clinical and dermoscopic
photographs were taken of every nevus. If the patient had more than 50 nevi, only nevi on
the face, right arm, upper back and the buttocks were documented. Reassessment was repeated
every 3 month.

Conclusion:

In our patients under chemotherapy during one year the development of new nevi is similar to
sex and age matched children of the general population. During this short period development
of nevi seems not to be influenced by chemotherapy.