title: Neuroblastoma in 88 children. Clinical features, prognostic factors, results and late effects of therapy.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to analyze the clinical pattern of neuroblastoma, the development of therapy, therapeutic results and the effect of neuroblastoma treated in childhood on the patient's later life. A retrospective series of 88 patient under 15 with primary neuroblastoma from years 1951-1978 was analyzed. The material was divided into two groups: patients admitted in 1951-1964 and those admitted in 1965-1978. Thirty three of the children (37.5%) were treated in 1951-1964 and 55 (62.5%) in 1965-1978. No statistical differences were seen between the therapeutic groups regarding age and sex distribution, site of the primary tumor and the histological and stage distribution. The mean age of all the patients on admission was 3.2 years (range 0-14.6 years). The age distribution was as follows: 24 (27.3%) 12 months, 18 (20.5%) 12-24 months and 46 (52.3%) over 24 months. There were 45 (51.1%) boys and 43 (48.9%) girls. All the histological specimens were reexamined. On the basis of histological differentiation, the series contained 67 (76.1%) neuroblastomas and 21 (23.9%) ganglioneuroblastomas. The localization of the primary tumors was the following: neck one (1.1%), mediastinum 17 (19.3%), elsewhere in the thorax 9 (10.2%), abdomen 15 (17.0%), pelvis 6 (8.8%), adrenal glands 31 (35.2%), dumbbell tumors 9 (10.2%). The stage distribution (Evans et al., 1971) was: stage I 6 (6.8%), stage II 20 (22.7%), stage III 36 (40.9%), stage IV 20 (22.7%) and stage IV-S 6 (6.8%). The diagnostic studies performed were chest roentgenography on 97.7%, skull roentgenography on 62.5%, pelvic roentgenography on 18.2%, spinal roentgenography on 23.8%, roentgenography of the long bones on 53.4%, and urography on 59.1% of the total. A bone marrow study was made on 36.4% of the cases. 24-hour urinary excretion of VMA was determined at the beginning of therapy for 78.2% and of HVA for 38.2% of the patients of the latter treatment group. The commonest general symptoms were anemia (34.1% of all patients), vague pyrexia (25.0%), lack of appetite, weight loss (18.2%) and poor general condition (15.9%). General symptoms were commonest in patients in stages IV and III (75.0 and 72.2%) and least frequent in stage I patients (16.7%). The average duration of the general symptoms in the survivors was 1.9 months and in the patients who died 1.7 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents