title: High-dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell rescue in a patient with pleuropulmonary blastoma.
abstract: Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare and aggressive malignant tumor of the lung. Approximately 80 cases of PPB have been published, and in only three cases high-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was applied. A 5-year-old girl presenting with cough, fever, and shortness of breath was referred to the authors in March 1999. A computed tomography scan of the chest showed a tumor mass in the left hemithorax. The lesion was biopsied and the histopathologic report suggested the diagnosis of PPB. The patient received chemotherapy comprising vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide with only a minor response, and treatment was switched to ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide, which produced a partial response. Tumor resection was performed, but margins were positive for PPB. Due to the high risk of recurrence, the authors elected to administrate high-dose chemotherapy using melphalan, etoposide, and carboplatin, followed by autologous HSCT. The patient achieved complete hematologic recovery, and reimaging after HSCT showed no evidence of disease. She relapsed 4 months later and died about 9 months after the completion of high-dose therapy. The role of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT is likely to be limited in PPB.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Unit, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, 3rd Floor, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil 90035-003. cgcastro@hcpa.ufrgs
authors.forename: Cláudio Galvão
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Simone Geiger
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Lauro José
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gregianin
authors.forename: Jiseh Fagundes
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Loss
authors.forename: Luís Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwartsmann
authors.forename: Algemir Lunardi
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Brunetto
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018202:Pulmonary Blastoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D011859:Radiography; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin; D008558:Melphalan