title: High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation in adults with recurrent embryonal tumors of the central nervous system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Embryonal central nervous system (CNS) tumors (medulloblastoma, cerebral neuroblastoma, pineoblastoma, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors) are rare in adults. Recurrent disease has an extremely poor outcome. The use of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has demonstrated promising results in children with recurrent disease, but there are only limited data regarding its role in adults. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate adult patients with embryonal CNS tumors who were treated with HDC with ASCT and compare their outcomes with those of patients who received conventional-dose chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors reviewed the medical records of 23 adult patients (age >or= 18 years) who were treated at the Mayo Clinic for recurrent embryonal CNS tumors between 1976 and 2004. The authors compared treatment with HDC with ASCT (10 patients) with an historic control of patients treated with conventional-dose chemotherapy (nitrosourea based, cisplatin based, or both) (13 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  HDC with ASCT was associated with increased survival (P= .044) and a longer time to disease progression (TTP) (P= .028). The conventional-dose chemotherapy group had a median TTP of 0.58 years and a median survival of 2.00 years. The HDC with ASCT group had a median TTP of 1.25 years and a median survival of 3.47 years. When restricted to patients receiving ASCT after first disease recurrence, the median TTP was 2.5 years and the median survival was 4.16 years. Toxicities were similar in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvements in the median TTP and survival noted with the administration of HDC with ASCT, as well as the acceptable toxicity of this regimen, supports consideration of its use in adults with recurrent embryonal CNS tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare-Mayo Health Systems, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Litzow
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buckner
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moynihan
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Christianson
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansell
authors.forename: Evanthia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galanis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002330:Carmustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013852:Thiotepa / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D011344:Procarbazine; D005047:Etoposide; D008130:Lomustine; D013852:Thiotepa; D002945:Cisplatin; D002330:Carmustine