title: Treatment with oral etoposide for childhood recurrent ependymomas.
abstract: In this study the authors retrospectively evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of prolonged oral etoposide therapy in children with recurrent ependymoma. Twelve ependymoma patients with documented recurrent or persistent disease were treated between May 1998 and October 2003. All patients were treated monthly with oral VP-16 administered at a dose of 50 mg/m2/d for 21 days, with a 7-day interval between cycles, for a planned minimum number of six cycles. Response (complete plus partial) after two cycles occurred in 5 of the 12 patients (41.6%). Response plus stable disease occurred in 10 of the 12 (83.3%), with a median duration of response or stable disease of 7 months (range 4-30). The median survival was 7 months; the 2-year progression-free survival was 16.7%. These results emphasize that oral etoposide is an attractive option for childhood recurrent ependymomas in terms of administration, tolerability, and neuroradiologic response.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Oncology Department, University of Turin, Torino, Italy. alessandro.sandri@unito.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandri
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massimino
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mastrodicasa
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sardi
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bertin
authors.forename: Maria Eleonora
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Todisco
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paglino
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perilongo
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Genitori
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ricardi
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gandola
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giangaspero
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madon
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005047:Etoposide