AESTHESIONEUROBLASTOMA

Forty patients were treated or followed up for aesthesioneuroblastoma between 1980 and 1995 at Institut Gustave Roussy, France. There were t hree T-1, seven T-2, 15 T-3 and 15 T-4 lesions. The cervical metastati c rate at presentation was 18 per cent. Distant metastases were detect ed by bone marrow biopsy and bone scan in three patients at presentati on. Treatment modalities included surgery alone in eight patients, rad iotherapy alone in three patients, combined modality surgery plus radi otherapy in 11 patients, chemotherapy alone in two patients, chemother apy plus radiotherapy in 10 patients, and multimodality therapy chemot herapy plus surgery plus radiotherapy in six patients. The five-year s urvival rate was 51 per cent. Multimodality treatment offered better s urvival (63 per cent at five years) and disease-free interval (54 mont hs). Overall local, regional, and distant failure rates were 58 per ce nt, 15 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. Distant metastases commo nly occurred in bone (82 per cent). Cervical metastasis was an unfavou rable prognostic indicator (0 per cent survival at two years). In conc lusion, aesthesioneuroblastoma is sensitive to chemotherapy and radiot herapy. Multimodality therapy should be used initially.