Liver involvement in neuroblastoma: the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Experience supports treatment reduction in young patients.
BACKGROUND
We reviewed clinical and biologic findings in a series of infants with neuroblastoma (NB) in liver. The aim was to gain insights into improving therapy.


METHODS
Among 19 newly or recently diagnosed infants with NB in liver, 1987-2002, those with stage 4 involving bone received chemotherapy, while those without bone or extensive bone marrow (BM) involvement were observed or received limited treatment if NB caused life-threatening symptoms. We assessed results in the context of NB treatment risk stratification, which is based on age, stage, and selected biologic features (MYCN, ploidy, histology).


RESULTS
Six of eight infants with bone involvement became long-term event-free survivors including 1/2 with MYCN amplification and four who received only 4-6 cycles of chemotherapy; at the end of treatment, four infants had abnormalities in liver +/- the primary site, but these resolved. All 11 infants without bone lesions became long-term survivors with either no cytotoxic therapy or only one cycle of chemotherapy (+/- radiotherapy to liver), including four who had stage 4 and one stage 4S patient who still had NB in BM at age 15 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment reduction should be considered for subsets of infants with non-MYCN-amplified widespread NB: stage 4 without bone or extensive BM involvement may not require cytotoxic therapy, stage 4S with symptomatic hepatomegaly may not require multiple cycles of chemotherapy, and classic stage 4 may do well with limited chemotherapy. Persistent liver abnormalities post-treatment may not require continued therapy to achieve a radiologic complete remission.
Kushner
Brian H
BH
Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA. kushnerb@mskcc.org
Kramer
Kim
K
LaQuaglia
Michael P
MP
Modak
Shakeel
S
Cheung
Nai-Kong V
NK
D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies