Pharmacotherapy of neuroblastoma.
BACKGROUND
Neuroblastoma, a tumor of the sympathetic nervous system, is the most common extracranial solid tumor of early life. High risk disease in older children remains a therapeutic challenge, despite high-intensity therapy with correspondingly significant short- and long-term toxicities.


METHODS
We have reviewed therapy for neuroblastoma over the last three decades. This includes cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radionuclides, antiangiogenic compounds, and molecularly targeted agents. We provide a perspective on the incorporation of these drugs into therapy for neuroblastoma.


RESULTS
The reader will gain a better understanding of these novel agents and their targets in neuroblastoma. The reader will also gain insight into the need to define through sequential, carefully designed clinical trials, the roles and toxicities of these therapies, especially if the combination of targeted and conventional cytotoxic agents is used.


CONCLUSIONS
Advanced-stage neuroblastoma in older infants and children remains a disease that is difficult to cure. New, targeted agents may improve both the therapeutic index and the outcome, but are, for the most part, in early development and present a challenge for clinical trial design given both the rarity of this disease and its responsiveness (albeit incomplete) to currently used cytotoxic agents.
George
Rani E
RE
Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, USA.
Diller
Lisa
L
Bernstein
Mark L
ML
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007223:Infant; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents