title: Treatment of nephroblastoma in Africa: results of the first French African pediatric oncology group (GFAOP) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The multidisciplinary management of nephroblastoma has been defined through multicentric prospective studies and an average 90% of patients cured expected. In Africa, such studies are uncommon and results are fragmentary or unknown in most of the countries. We report the results of the GFAOPNEPHRO 01 study using SIOP 2001 protocol approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2004, 8 African Pilot Units were selected to participate in a nonrandomized prospective study. All patients referred with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of nephroblastoma were registered, those aged over 6 months and less than 18 years with a unilateral tumor not previously treated were included in this study and received preoperative chemotherapy. Patients with unfavorable histology or with a tumor other than Wilms tumor, and those with stage IV tumor and persistent disease after surgery were secondarily excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 229 patients initially registered, 166 were included and finally 133 retained in the study, after surgery. Tumor rupture occurred in 7.5% of the patients. Thirty-five percent were stage I, 22% stage II, 23% stage III, and 18% stage IV. Two-year disease-free survival and 5-year survival are, respectively: 77.9% and 76.7% for localized tumors, 72.7% and 71.6% for all study patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible to conduct African multicentric therapeutic studies within the framework of GFAOP. Results in terms of event-free survival and survival are satisfactory. Improvements with respect to procedure, data collection, and outcome are expected in a new study.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'oncologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal. drcmoreira@gmail.com
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Mohamed Nasser
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Nachef
authors.forename: Soumaya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ziamati
authors.forename: Yasmina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ladjaj
authors.forename: Sihem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barsaoui
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mallon
authors.forename: Marie-France
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Tournade
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000349:Africa; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009392:Nephrectomy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D003609:Dactinomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin