title: First experience with prognostic factors in unselected neuroblastoma patients. The Austrian Neuroblastoma 87 Study.
abstract: Between January 1987 and December 1993, 117 patients were registered in the Austrian A-NB87 study. The male/female ratio was 1.18, with 50 patients below the age of 1 year at diagnosis. Patients were assigned to stage according to the result of primary surgery in localised disease. Age, ferritin and neuron specific enolase were used in addition in stage III disease for risk-adapted treatment. Adrenal or pelvic primary tumour sites were mainly associated (81%) with advanced disease. The median observation time of the study is 3.5 years. The overall survival at 3 years was excellent in low stage disease and IVs patients, i.e. 100% for stage I and IIA (20 patients), 92% in stage IVs (13 patients), 81% in stage IIIA (18 patients) and 69% in stage IIB (8 patients). Stage IV (38 patients) showed a survival rate of 51%, whereas stage IIB (10 patients) had the worst outcome in this study, i.e. 20%, due to treatment-related toxicity. Significant unfavourable prognostic factors were neuron specific enolase (NSE) > 100 ng/ml, ferritin > 300 micrograms/ml and amplified MYCN. This study achieved a better survival rate in stage IV patients and a subgroup of stage III in comparison to our previous study (Pädiatrie und Pädologie 1986, 21, 269) and gives the basis to further reduce treatment intensity in low-risk disease based on biological factors. However, prognosis for high-risk cases was still poor in spite of a very aggressive treatment concept.
authors.affiliation: St Anna Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ladenstein
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gadner
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zoubek
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Emminger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grienberger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Ambros
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ambros
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000032:analysis; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005293:Ferritins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase