Pediatric cancer: beating the odds.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D M Komp.
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The cytocentrifuge provides a satisfactory method to distinguish malignant from nonmalignant CSF mononuclear elements in leukemic patients with pleocytosis. In patients who have had meningeal leukemia, our data support the concept that absence of all blasts be required to define remission. The finding of rare blasts by cytocentrifuge in patients with prior history of CNS leukemia, however, should be interpreted in light of the entire clinical and laboratory picture.
ICRF-159 is active in several animal tumor model systems and human adult malignancies. In this phase II study, ICRF-159 was given on a weekly schedule, 3000 mg/m2/day, orally in three divided doses at 6-hour intervals to 78 children with a variety of malignant neoplasms. Fifty-three patients were evaluable for tumor response. Toxicity was primarily hematopoietic and gastrointestinal. There were no responses in any of the eight patients with osteogenic sarcoma, four with lymphoma, five with Ewing's sarcoma, ten with neuroblastoma, or six with rhabdomyosarcoma. There was a transient partial response in one of four children with Wilms' tumor. Further trials with this drug using this schedule are not indicated for the common childhood solid tumors.
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Cryofibrinogen obtained from four children with inflammatory diseases was invesitgated for immunoglobulin and FDP activity. It is concluded that the potential for fibrinogenolysis is present in cryofibrinogen but it is not necessary for its formation. The proteins in the cryoprecipitates that migrate electrophorectically with the alpha-, beta- and gamma-globulins represent immunoglobulins and, perhaps, some FDP.
Postsplenectomy sepsis is a serious problem with high morbidity and high mortality. Surgical alternatives to total splenectomy are being sought. This paper describes two cases where, after splenectomy, some splenic tissue was either reimplanted or was left in situ and remains functional.
With intensive chemotherapy and a minimum of hospitalization, great progress has been made in extending the lives of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Of equal importance is attentive support for those whose lives are lengthened and their families.
A low-dose maintenance schedule of Adriamycin was evaluated in six children whose metastatic solid tumors regressed following toxic induction therapy with Adriamycin. Three of these children are now disease-free more than one year following discontinuation of therapy. Adriamycin can be given on a low-dose maintenance schedule free from alopecia, fever, stomatitis, myelosuppression and recognizable cardiomyopathy. Further studies of similar schedules are warranted.
Twenty-five children with generalized histiocytosis X were treated with a combination of cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, and prednisone: 8 patients experienced complete response, 8 partial response, 2 imporvement, and 7 no response. Response rates for children over 1 year of age were higher than those reported for single agents. Twelve children are now off therapy with no evidence of disease for 10--50 months. Very poor response rates and high toxicity were seen in children less than 1 year of age. The two infants who eventually achieved CR did so by other therapies. Further trials in combination chemotherapy must weight possible long-term effects of such therapy against the prospect of more rapid disease control.
The overall 38% response rate in histiocytosis X for cyclophosphamide, vincristine (Oncovin), prednisone, and procarbazine was not superior to responses that can be achieved with the component single agents. This is in contrast to the higher response rates that can be achieved by the combination of these agents in Hodgkin's disease. This is the second study of combination chemotherapy with individually effective agents that has failed to improve the response rates in histiocytosis patients with poor prognostic indicators.
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A remission-induction regimen for childhood leukemia using cyclophosphamide, asparaginase, vincristine, and prednisone (CAVP) was compared to standard vincristine-prednisone (VP) induction. The more intensive regimen was associated with a lower complete remission rate (81% vs 93%) and a higher early death rate from infection (15% vs 5%) for acute lymphocytic leukemia. In contrast, complete remission was achieved in 58% of children with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia treated with CAVP compared to 18% for VP. Early death rates were similar (27% vs 25%). These observations corroborate previous studies in childhood nonlymphocytic leukemia showing activity for asparaginase. Preliminary analysis of remission duration and survival for responders shows no advantage for those who survived the more intensive induction.
Recent advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy have improved the prognosis of urogenital rhabdomyosarcoma. Preliminary reports suggest that a mutilative operation may no longer be essential to cure this disease.
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Sixty-six children with acute leukemia, in advanced stages of their disease and resistant to conventional chemotherapy, received adriamycin for remssion induction. Seventeen of 46 (37%) evaluable children with acute lymphocytic leukemia achieved a complete remission, and 5 (11%) achieved a partial remission. Two of 12 evaluable children with acute myelogenous leukemia achieved a complete remission, while an additional 3 achieved a partial remission. Two children with erythroleukemia also achieved a complete remission. Previous therapy with daunorubicin did not affect the response rate. The main toxicities observed with adriamycin were myelosuppression, fever, nausea and vomiting, stomatitis, alopecia, and cardiac toxicity (ST segment changes and arrhythmias).
Ninety-eight children with solid tumors resistant to conventional chemotherapy received adriamycin 90 mg/m2, either as a single intravenous injection or in 6 divided doses administered every 6 hours. Of the 88 evaluable children, 6 (7%) achieved a complete response and 26 (29%) achieved a partial response. Tumors which demonstrated significant response rates were: neuroblastoma (9/18), Wilms' tumor (7/13), rhabdomyosarcoma (4/11), and lymphoma (4/8). The toxicities observed with this regimen included: alopecia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, febrile episodes, and ST-segment changes.