Liver involvement in neuroblastoma: The Memorial Sloan-Kettering experience supports treatment reduction in young patients Journal Article


Authors: Kushner, B. H.; Kramer, K.; LaQuaglia, M. P.; Modak, S.; Cheung, N. K. V.
Article Title: Liver involvement in neuroblastoma: The Memorial Sloan-Kettering experience supports treatment reduction in young patients
Abstract: Background. We reviewed clinical and biologic findings in a series of infants with neuroblastoma (NB) in liver. The aim was to gain insights into improving therapy. Patients and Methods. Among 19 newly or recently diagnosed infants with NB in liver, 1987-2002, those with stage 4 involving bone received chemotherapy, while those without bone or extensive bone marrow (BM) involvement were observed or received limited treatment if NB caused life-threatening symptoms. We assessed results in the context of NB treatment risk stratification, which is based on age, stage, and selected biologic features (MYCN, ploidy, histology). Results. Six of eight infants with bone involvement became long-term event-free survivors including 1/2 with MYCN amplification and four who received only 4-6 cycles of chemotherapy; at the end of treatment, four infants had abnormalities in liver ± the primary site, but these resolved. All 11 infants without bone lesions became long-term survivors with either no cytotoxic therapy or only one cycle of chemotherapy (± radiotherapy to liver), including four who had stage 4 and one stage 4S patient who still had NB in BM at age 15 months. Conclusions. Treatment reduction should be considered for subsets of infants with non-MYCN-amplified widespread NB: stage 4 without bone or extensive BM involvement may not require cytotoxic therapy, stage 4S with symptomatic hepatomegaly may not require multiple cycles of chemotherapy, and classic stage 4 may do well with limited chemotherapy. Persistent liver abnormalities post-treatment may not require continued therapy to achieve a radiologic complete remission. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Keywords: cancer survival; clinical article; treatment outcome; disease-free survival; retrospective studies; review; cisplatin; doxorubicin; cancer combination chemotherapy; liver neoplasms; bone metastasis; combined modality therapy; cancer staging; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; antineoplastic agent; carboplatin; computer assisted tomography; etoposide; cyclophosphamide; vincristine; childhood cancer; liver metastasis; liver; infant; infant, newborn; neuroblastoma; remission induction; liver disease; (3 iodobenzyl)guanidine i 131; isotretinoin; bone scintiscanning; bone marrow neoplasms; liver metastases; prognostic markers; (3 iodobenzyl)guanidine i 125
Journal Title: Pediatric Blood and Cancer
Volume: 46
Issue: 3
ISSN: 1545-5009
Publisher: Wiley Periodicals, Inc  
Date Published: 2006-03-01
Start Page: 278
End Page: 284
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/pbc.20564
PUBMED: 16124002
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Cited By (since 1996): 6" - "Export Date: 4 June 2012" - "CODEN: PBCEA" - "Source: Scopus"
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MSK Authors
  1. Brian Kushner
    311 Kushner
  2. Nai-Kong Cheung
    648 Cheung
  3. Kim Kramer
    236 Kramer
  4. Shakeel Modak
    249 Modak