title: Pilot study of high-dose vincristine, etoposide, carboplatin and melphalan with autologous bone marrow rescue in advanced neuroblastoma.
abstract: The efficacy and toxicity of a high-dose multiagent consolidation regimen, OMEC (vincristine, melphalan, etoposide and carboplatin), with autologous bone marrow rescue was studied in patients with poor-prognosis neuroblastoma, 20 patients were treated with OMEC, 18 after induction chemotherapy and 2 following relapse. All patients received, per m2, vincristine 4 mg, etoposide 1 g, carboplatin 1.0-1.75 g and melphalan 180 mg followed by bone marrow rescue. 4 patients (20%) died of treatment-related complications. Severe gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in all of these patients, and in 75% of patients overall. 1 of 5 patients with evaluable disease achieved complete remission. 13 patients (65%) have relapsed a median of 10 months (range 3-26) after receiving OMEC. Thus, OMEC was not more effective, yet more toxic, than high-dose melphalan given alone, and the use of similar multiagent regimens with overlapping toxicities in advanced neuroblastoma appears inadvisable.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Department, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, U.K.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pinkerton
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meller
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kingston
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McElwain
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin; D008558:Melphalan