AUTOLOGOUS BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION FOR ADVANCED NEUROBLASTOMA USING TENIPOSIDE, DOXORUBICIN, MELPHALAN, CISPLATIN, AND TOTAL-BODY IRRADIATION

Background: Disseminated neuroblastoma after infancy hers a dismal pro gnosis; rang-term survival with conventional therapy occurs in approxi mately 10% of cases. Patients and Methods: Between 1985 and 1992, we f ollowed strategy aimed to achieve remission with an induction combinat ion of intensive chemotherapy, primary resection, and tumor-bed radiot herapy (TBRT). Patients who achieved remission proceeded to myeloablat ive chemoradiotherapy and unpurged autologous bone marrow transplant ( ABMT). Twenty-eight patients older than 1 year presented with stage IV disease during the study period; six died of progressive disease and three died of complications of therapy. Nineteen patients achieved rem ission, two of whom did not receive ABMT. Seventeen patients proceeded to ABMT. Conditioning was with teniposide 130 mg/m(2), doxorubicin 30 mg/m(2), melphalan 120 mg/m(2), cisplatin 80 mg/m(2), and total-body irradiation 12 Gy in six fractions (modified VAMP-TBI). Results: Princ ipal nonhematologic toxicities were mucositis and diarrhea, There were no ABMT-related deaths. Two patients relapsed at 8 and 26 months post -ABMT, respectively. Fifteen patients remain in complete remission (CR ) at 24 to 102 months (median, 71) from ABMT and 30 to 114 months (med ian, 78) from diagnosis, Survival rates of all 28 patients are 61% and 50% at 2 and 5 years, respectively, and the disease-free survival (DF S) of the ABMT group is 94% and 87% at 2 and 5 years, respectively. Co nclusion: Modified VAMP-TBI appears to be an effective conditioning re gimen, with 15 of 17 patients remaining disease-free, with no toxic de aths. This result compares favorably with that of other groups, Larger numbers of patients need to be treated to confirm the efficacy of thi s therapy. (C) 1995 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.