title: Profile and outcome of neuroblastoma with convertional chemotherapy in children older than one year: a 15-years experience.
abstract: The clinical profile and outcome of neuroblastoma in 103 children, older than one-year is presented. 74 had Stage IV, 27 Stage III and one patient each had Stage I or II disease. Treatment included chemotherapy followed by surgical resection/debulking. Radiotherapy was administered to those with residual tumor. Chemotherapy consisted of OPEC (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin and etoposide). The caretakers of 54 (52.4%) children either did not opt for or defaulted therapy, whilst 3 patients died before chemotherapy could be initiated. Of the remaining 46 patients, the tumor progressed during therapy in 19 (41.3%). Relapse of disease was documented in 22 (47.8%) cases. Merely 4 (8.7%) children are disease free for a period of 16.5+/-6.7 months. Majority of children presented with advanced disease and the outcome was dismal with conventional non-myloablative chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Marwaha
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trehan
authors.forename: K L N
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery