title: Nephroblastoma: does the decrease in tumor volume under preoperative chemotherapy predict the lymph nodes status at surgery?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Partial nephrectomy (NSS) for unilateral nephroblastoma may be beneficial, although in case of regional lymph node (LN) involvement, radiotherapy counteracts the functional benefit of NSS. The aim is to verify whether decrease of tumor volume under preoperative chemotherapy implies clearance of regional LN.
  
  
  METHODS
  SIOP 9301 (1993-2001) collected 1,450 localized nephroblastoma patients of whom 1,360 (93%) had sufficiently available data and were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histologic subtypes were classically distributed. Patients were divided in those with tumor positive LN (76, 5.5%) and those with tumor negative LN (1,284, 94.5%) at surgery. In the LN(+) group, the tumor volume changed from a median of 554 (318-772) to 192 (63-458) ml = 67% (27-88%) during preoperative ChT. In the LN(-) group-377 (200-612) to 130 (44-294) ml = 62% (28-83%) (NS). Increase of tumor volume was observed in 16% of patients with LN(+), and 11% of those with LN(-) (NS); ranges are interquartile. Initial tumor volume was significantly larger in the LN(+) patients (P = 0.00091) but not different (NS) at surgery; patients with initial tumor volume under 318 ml had the regional LN involved significantly less frequently (P = 0.00751).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Change in tumor volume under preoperative chemotherapy is not a predictor for LN status at surgery, although larger initial volume is associated with a higher risk of LN invasion. The decrease of tumor volume is not a good criterion for the safety of NSS. The low rate of LN(+) (5.5%) indicates that this risk is low.
authors.affiliation: Marciniak Hospital, Pediatric Surgery, Wroclaw and Technical University of Opole, Institut of Physiotherapy, Opole, Poland. jgodzin@wp.pl
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Godzinski
authors.forename: Harm
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Tinteren
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Kraker
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heij
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Schweinitz
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cecchetto
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Audry
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sandstedt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents