Abstract
Fourteen patients with stage III-IV neuroblastoma were treated with alternating combination chemotherapy consisting of (a) VP16/cisplatin and (b) doxorubicin/vincristine/cyclophosphamide. The initial response to induction chemotherapy, especially to VP16/cisplatin was evaluated by determining t 1/2 for urinary vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), homovanillic acid and serum neuron specific enolase (NSE). The period prior to normalization of these parameters was also determined. The patients could be classified as 7 rapid responders, with less than 3 weeks of t 1/2 VMA, or t 1/2 NSE, and 7 slow responders longer than 4 weeks of t 1/2 VMA. An analysis of the data indicates that an initial rapid response correlated with subsequent high complete response rate, but did not necessarily predict better prognosis in these patients.
MeSH terms
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Abdominal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Abdominal Neoplasms / metabolism
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Abdominal Neoplasms / pathology
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Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / metabolism
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Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / pathology
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Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
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Bone Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Bone Neoplasms / etiology
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Bone Neoplasms / metabolism
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Bone Neoplasms / secondary
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Child
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Child, Preschool
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Cisplatin / administration & dosage
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Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage
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Doxorubicin / administration & dosage
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Etoposide / administration & dosage
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Female
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Homovanillic Acid / urine
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Humans
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Infant
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Male
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Mediastinal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Mediastinal Neoplasms / metabolism
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Mediastinal Neoplasms / pathology
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Neuroblastoma / drug therapy*
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Neuroblastoma / metabolism
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Neuroblastoma / pathology
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Vanilmandelic Acid / urine
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Vincristine / administration & dosage
Substances
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Vanilmandelic Acid
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Vincristine
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Etoposide
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Doxorubicin
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Cyclophosphamide
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Cisplatin
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Homovanillic Acid