Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in neuroblastoma patients receiving anti-GD2 3F8 monoclonal antibody Journal Article


Authors: Kushner, B. H.; Modak, S.; Basu, E. M.; Roberts, S. S.; Kramer, K.; Cheung, N. K. V.
Article Title: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in neuroblastoma patients receiving anti-GD2 3F8 monoclonal antibody
Abstract: BACKGROUND Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) comprises clinical and radiologic findings with rapid onset and potentially dire consequences. Patients experience hypertension, seizures, headache, visual disturbance, and/or altered mentation. Magnetic resonance imaging reveals edematous changes in the brain (especially in the parietal and occipital lobes). In this report, the authors describe PRES associated with antidisialoganglioside (anti-GD2) monoclonal antibody (MoAb) immunotherapy, which is now standard for high-risk neuroblastoma but has not previously been implicated in PRES. METHODS Successive clinical trials using the anti-GD2 MoAb 3F8 (a murine immunoglobulin 3 MoAb specific for GD2) for patients with neuroblastoma involved multiple cycles of standard-dose 3F8 (SD-3F8) (20 mg/m2 daily for 5 days per cycle) or 2 cycles of high-dose 3F8 (HD-3F8) (80 mg/m2 daily for 5 days per cycle) followed by cycles of SD-3F8. RESULTS PRES was diagnosed in 5 of 215 patients (2.3%), including 3 of 160 (1.9%) who received SD-3F8 and 2 of 55 (3.6%) who received HD-3F8 (P =.6). All 5 patients had a rapid return to clinical-radiologic baseline. PRES occurred in 3 of 26 patients (11.5%) whose prior treatment included external-beam radiotherapy to the brain (2 of 6 patients status-post total body irradiation and 1 of 20 patients status-post craniospinal irradiation) compared with 2 of 189 patients (1.1%) who had not received prior brain irradiation (P =.01). Hypertension, which is strongly linked to PRES, reached grade 3 toxicity in 12 of 215 patients (5.6%), including the 5 patients with PRES and 7 patients without PRES. CONCLUSIONS Patients who receive anti-GD2 MoAb immunotherapy should be closely monitored for, and undergo urgent treatment or evaluation of, symptoms that may herald PRES (eg, hypertension or headaches). Prior brain irradiation may be a predisposing factor for PRES with this immunotherapy. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Keywords: hypertension; monoclonal antibodies; immunotherapy; neuroblastoma; posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome
Journal Title: Cancer
Volume: 119
Issue: 15
ISSN: 0008-543X
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 2013-08-01
Start Page: 2789
End Page: 2795
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.28137
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 23633099
PMCID: PMC4326066
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Export Date: 1 August 2013" - "CODEN: CANCA" - "Source: Scopus"
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MSK Authors
  1. Brian Kushner
    311 Kushner
  2. Nai-Kong Cheung
    650 Cheung
  3. Kim Kramer
    236 Kramer
  4. Shakeel Modak
    249 Modak
  5. Ellen Marlese Basu
    101 Basu
  6. Stephen Stacy Roberts
    107 Roberts