title: Brain metastasis in children with stage 4 neuroblastoma after multidisciplinary treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain metastasis is common in relapsed neuroblastoma patients, but the characteristics of brain metastasis remain largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the status of brain metastasis with neuroblastoma in South China.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective case-based study, 106 patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma from the Department of Pediatric Oncology in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 2004 and May 2013 were included. The incidence, risk factors, and survival status of these patients were reviewed and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 106 patients, 11 (10.4%) developed brain metastasis, accounting for 20.0% of 55 patients with relapse or progression. The age at initial diagnosis of the 11 patients ranged from 2 to 10 years (median 4 years), which was younger than that of the patients without brain metastasis (median 5 years, range 1-10 years, P=0.073). The male to female ratio of the 11 patients was 8:3, which was not significantly different from that of the patients without brain metastasis (P=0.86). Patients with brain metastasis had higher lactate dehydrogenase levels than those without brain metastasis, but the differences were not significant (P=0.076). Eight patients died, and 3 patients survived. The median interval from the initial diagnosis to the development of brain metastasis was 18 months (range 6-32 months). The median survival was 4 months (range 1 day to 29 months) after the diagnosis of brain metastasis. The median interval from the manifestation of brain metastasis to death was 3 months (range 1 day to 11 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-risk factors for brain metastasis in cases of neuroblastoma include bone marrow involvement and a younger age at initial diagnosis. Nevertheless, multiple treatment modalities can improve disease-free survival.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. zhujia@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. wangjuan@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. zhenzj@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Zi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. lusy@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Su-Ying
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. zhangfei@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. sunff@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Fei-Fei
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. lipf@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Peng-Fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. huangjt@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Jun-Ting
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. cairq@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Rui-Qing
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, P. R. China. sunxf@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D001921:Brain; D001932:Brain Neoplasms; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase