title: Improved prognosis for children with stage IV neuroblastoma: high-dose melphalan and autologous unpurged marrow transplantation after aggressive surgery and short chemotherapy with cisplatinum and etoposide.
abstract: A new therapeutic approach was adopted for 13 consecutive patients with stage IV neuroblastoma over 1 year of age admitted to the Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, between October 1981 and August 1985. Treatment was based on induction, with aggressive, repeated early surgery and a relatively short course of chemotherapy with cisplatinum and etoposide, and on consolidation, with 140-180 mg/m2 of melphalan followed by autologous unpurged bone marrow. Induction therapy failed in only 2 of the 13 patients. One of the two was never autografted. So a total of 12 children underwent autologous marrow transplantations, 10 in primary and 1 in secondary remission, and one with residual disease. One patient died in septicemia during postmelphalan pancytopenia, and four patients relapsed 0.3-2.9 years after transplantation. Seven of the original 13 patients (54%) are well and living in continuous remission 2.3-4.1 (median 2.8) years after diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajantie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wikström
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perkkiö
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hovi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mäkipernaa
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Maunuksela
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Siimes
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D015275:Tumor Lysis Syndrome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin; D008558:Melphalan