title: Treatment for stage III-IV neuroblastoma patients: initial response to chemotherapy evaluated by biochemical parameters.
abstract: Fourteen patients with stage III-IV neuroblastoma were treated with alternating combination chemotherapy consisting of (a) VP16/cisplatin and (b) doxorubicin/vincristine/cyclophosphamide. The initial response to induction chemotherapy, especially to VP16/cisplatin was evaluated by determining t 1/2 for urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), homovanillic acid and serum neuron specific enolase (NSE). The period prior to normalization of these parameters was also determined. The patients could be classified as 7 rapid responders, with less than 3 weeks of t 1/2 VMA, or t 1/2 NSE, and 7 slow responders longer than 4 weeks of t 1/2 VMA. An analysis of the data indicates that an initial rapid response correlated with subsequent high complete response rate, but did not necessarily predict better prognosis in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, Children's Research Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imashuku
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hibi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyake
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin; D006719:Homovanillic Acid