title: Neuroblastoma in southern Brazil: an 11-year study.
abstract: The authors report on the incidence and clinical characteristics of neuroblastoma in southern Brazil. The aims of the study were to evaluate the age at diagnosis, tumor stage, MYCN status, and tumor histopathology, and to relate these factors to survival. All patients with neuroblastoma, 15 years old or younger (n = 125), admitted to the three major pediatric oncology hospitals in the state of Parana over a period of 11 years (between January 1990 and December 2000), were included in the analysis. All patients were followed for at least 5 years. In addition, a FISH evaluation for MYCN status was conducted in a subset of 34 tumors. Overall survival for tumor stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 100%, 72%, 59%, and 17%, respectively. Sixty-two percent (77/125) of all patients were older than 2 years; these represented 71% (57/80) of the patients with stage 4 disease. Children who presented with an unfavorable histopathology had a significantly worse prognosis (20% survival) than children with a favorable histopathology (67% survival). MYCN amplification was detected most commonly in stages 3 and 4 tumors (13/16). These data showed a delayed diagnosis of neuroblastoma in children in southern Brazil, and consequently survival was considerably lower in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivy Zortéa S
authors.initials: IZ
authors.lastname: Parise
authors.forename: Bassem R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Luciane R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.forename: Mara A D
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pianovski
authors.forename: Ewerton M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Maggio
authors.forename: Guilherme A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Parise
authors.forename: Flora M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Sérgio O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Ioshii
authors.forename: Janice D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rone
authors.forename: Luiz Gonzaga
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Caleffe
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Odone Filho
authors.forename: Bonald C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome