title: Biological variables in thoracic neuroblastoma: a Pediatric Oncology Group study.
abstract: The prognosis for patients with neuroblastoma is related to the age and stage at time of presentation, as well as to the presence or absence of biological markers such as N-myc amplification and the degree of DNA ploidy. However, previous studies have shown that neuroblastoma in the thoracic site also is a favorable prognostic indicator, in that children with mediastinal neuroblastoma have a better survival rate, regardless of age or stage at time of presentation. This study was designed to evaluate the biological differences between thoracic and nonthoracic neuroblastoma with respect to N-myc amplification, DNA index as a measure of DNA ploidy, serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, and serum ferritin levels. Patients enrolled in the Pediatric Oncology Group study protocols for neuroblastoma were evaluated retrospectively, and log-rank analysis allowed the impact of each biological variable on survival to be determined for each cohort of patients. There were 1,335 neuroblastoma patients in the data base; 227 had thoracic-site neuroblastoma. Through analysis, it was apparent that patients with thoracic neuroblastoma have better survival rates than do their nonthoracic counterparts (P < .0001), and they are less likely to have N-myc amplification (P = .001), more likely to have an LDH level of less than 1,500 (P < .0001), and usually have a DNA index of greater than 1 (P < .003). Both thoracic and nonthoracic patients have low serum ferritin levels (86% of thoracic versus 83% of nonthoracic patients).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Stanford University Medical Center, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Shcochat
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Look
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Brodeur
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Cantor
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Castleberry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D018305:Ganglioneuroblastoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011003:Ploidies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase