Long-term follow-up of children with high-risk neuroblastoma: the ENSG5 trial experience.

Background: Therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma is intensive and multimodal, and significant long-term adverse effects have been described. The aim of this study was to identify the nature and severity of late complications of metastatic neuroblastoma survivors included in the ENSG5 clinical trial.

Procedure: The trial protocol included induction chemotherapy (randomized "Standard" OPEC/OJEC vs.

High-dose rapid and standard induction chemotherapy for patients aged over 1 year with stage 4 neuroblastoma: a randomised trial.

Background: The current standard treatment for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma includes initial induction chemotherapy with a 21-day interval between induction treatments. We aimed to assess whether an intensive chemotherapy protocol that had a 10-day interval between treatments would improve event-free survival (EFS) in patients aged 1 year or over with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Methods: Between Oct 30, 1990, and March 18, 1999, patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma who had not received previous chemotherapy were enrolled from 29 centres in Europe.

Immediate nephrectomy versus preoperative chemotherapy in the management of non-metastatic Wilms' tumour: results of a randomised trial (UKW3) by the UK Children's Cancer Study Group.

Purpose: To determine if patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy with vincristine and actinomycin D for non-metastatic Wilms' tumour have a more advantageous stage distribution and so need less treatment compared to patients who have immediate nephrectomy, without adversely affecting outcome.

Methods: Between 1991 and 2001, a total of 205 patients with newly diagnosed non-metastatic renal tumours, of which 186 had Wilms' histologies, were randomly assigned either to immediate surgery or to 6 weeks preoperative chemotherapy and then delayed surgery. Both groups of children received postoperative chemotherapy according to tumour stage and histology determined at the time of nephrectomy.

High dose melphalan in the treatment of advanced neuroblastoma: results of a randomised trial (ENSG-1) by the European Neuroblastoma Study Group.

Background: High dose myeloablative chemotherapy ("megatherapy"), with haematopoietic stem cell support, is now widely used to consolidate response to induction chemotherapy in patients with advanced neuroblastoma.

Procedure: In this study (European Neuroblastoma Study Group, ENSG1), the value of melphalan myeloablative "megatherapy" was evaluated in a randomised, multi-centre trial. Between 1982 and 1985, 167 children with stages IV and III neuroblastoma (123 stage IV > 1 year old at diagnosis and 44 stage III and stage IV from 6 to 12 months old at diagnosis) were treated with oncovin, cisplatin, epipodophyllotoxin, and cyclophosphamide (OPEC) induction chemotherapy every 3 weeks.

Factors influencing early failure of central venous catheters in children with cancer.

Background: The authors report the results of a prospective, multicenter, multidisciplinary study of central venous catheters (CVCs) in pediatric oncology patients analyzing factors involved in early failure.

Methods: Information was collected from parent-held records on the fate of 824 devices inserted over a 20-month period, 415 of which were no longer in situ.

Results: Within the first 7 weeks after insertion, there were 66 failures, all occurring in external lines.

Localized non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with B-cell histology: cure without cyclophosphamide? A report of the United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group on studies NHL 8501 and NHL 9001 (1985-1996).

We have examined the outcome for children treated on two consecutive United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group studies of localized B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The first study (NHL 8501; 1985-1989) included cyclophosphamide in the treatment regimen at a total cumulative dose of 4 g/m2 whereas the regimen in the succeeding study (NHL 9001; 1990-1996) did not include cyclophosphamide. Ninety children with confirmed B-cell NHL were treated in the two studies (NHL 8501, n = 33 and NHL9001, n = 57).

Results of a randomized study of preradiation chemotherapy versus radiotherapy alone for nonmetastatic medulloblastoma: The International Society of Paediatric Oncology/United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group PNET-3 Study.

Purpose: To determine whether preradiotherapy (RT) chemotherapy would improve outcome for Chang stage M0-1 medulloblastoma when compared with RT alone. Chemotherapy comprised vincristine 1.5 mg/m2 weekly for 10 weeks and four cycles of etoposide 100 mg/m2 daily for 3 days, and carboplatin 500 mg/m2 daily for 2 days alternating with cyclophosphamide 1.

ChlVPP chemotherapy in children with stage IV Hodgkin's disease: results of the UKCCSG HD 8201 and HD 9201 studies.

We reviewed the results of two consecutive United Kingdom Childrens' Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) studies of children with stage IV Hodgkin's Disease (HD) treated between January 1982 and December 1999. Among 697 children with HD, 67 were diagnosed to be stage IV. The median age at diagnosis was 12.

Isolated parenchymal lung involvement in children with stage IV Hodgkin's disease: results of the UKCCSG HD8201 and HD9201 studies.

We retrospectively reviewed the case notes of 27 patients who were diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin's disease (HD) because of isolated parenchymal pulmonary involvement on chest radiograph and computerized tomography scan (excluding subcategory E). Ten were boys and 15 had B symptoms. Median age at diagnosis was 13.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma in childhood: analysis of 72 patients treated on The United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group chemotherapy regimens.

From June 1990 to June 1998, 72 patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) were treated with short intensive multi-agent regimens [non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) 9000 and 9602]. Diagnosis was based on morphological and immunophenotypic criteria. Treatment for stage I disease consisted of eight courses (2 x vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisolone; 2 x methotrexate; 2 x cytarabine, thioguanine; and 2 x methotrexate etoposide).