99 children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma entered the prospective, multicenter BFM study 81/83. They were treated with a four-fold stratified therapy according to clinical stage and origin of the lymphoma from B- or non-B-lymphocytes. In the BFM study 75/81, these criteria had been proven to be most relevant for prognosis. Therapy of non-B-NHL was very similar to the therapeutic concept as applied in acute lymphoblastic leukemias by the BFM group. For the NHL of B-type, a new therapeutic regimen was developed. Cytostatic drugs applied in this group were: medium dose methotrexate, cyclophosphamide in a fractionated manner of application, adriamycin, cytarabine, VM 26 and prednisone. The probability of disease-free survival was 80% after nearly 3 years for all patients. In non-B-NHL it was 89% in localized, and 79% in disseminated disease. All patients with localized B-NHL are surviving without relapse, while the probability of disease-free survival in patients with disseminated B-NHL was 67%. Thus, the therapy result in the latter group was doubled as compared to the result of the BFM study 75/81.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Antibiotic prophylaxis and therapy of febrile aplastic children with acute leukemia].

One hundred and twenty-one febrile episodes (FE) were studied in 58 aplastic children with acute leukemia. All patients received a prophylactic regimen of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TS) and colistin sulfate orally, and amphotericin B locally from the beginning of their antineoplastic therapy. Eighty episodes were analysed retrospectively. Forty-one episodes in 24 patients were treated prospectively with a standard regimen of gentamicin + cefotaxime. The results show that the prophylactic regimen does not eradicate potentially pathogenic organisms from the throat, urine, or stools. Sixty-three per cent of FE were of unknown origin (FUU). 40.5% of all isolated organisms were TS resistant. In the prospective group, 9 of 41 FE (22%) responded to gentamicin + cefotaxime with lysis of fever within 48 hours, and 63% required no further antibiotics. Defeverescence occurred in the whole group within 5 +/- 4 days. No patients were lost to infectious complications. The combination of gentamicin + cefotaxime as initial therapy of a febrile episode must be supplemented within 48 to 72 hours by additional antibiotics in the absence of clinical improvement.

Amphotericin B↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Specific immunoglobulin and acyclovir in the prevention and treatment of varicella zoster infections in children with neoplastic diseases].

Immunocompromised children with acute leukemias and solid tumors are at high risk of fatal varicella infection. Reviewing a total of 242 patients at risk we have found that zoster immune plasma from reconvalescent patients (ZIP) and commercially available specific varicella/zoster immune globulin (VZIG) both prevent fatal disease. In addition, Acyclovir was effective against VZV-infections in this group of patients. We summarize our present policy of prophylaxis and treatment of immunocompromised children with neoplastic disease who have been exposed to VZV.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Cooperative osteosarcoma study COSS-77: results after 4 years].

71 patients with resectable osterosarcoma received chemotherapy for one year including high-dose methotrexate (18 x 200 mg/kg), adriamycin (5 x [2 x 45] mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (6 x 1200 mg/m2). During the initial 15 weeks adriamycin was used preferentially and cytostatic agents were applied in a higher frequency than later on. 41/71 patients are continuously free of disease with a median follow up of 39 (24-54) months. The latest appearance of pulmonary metastases was observed at 28 months so far. 18/27 (67%) patients with extension of tumor lesion beyond 1/3 long bones length by x-ray examination relapsed in contrast to 12/43 (28%) patients with smaller lesions. 1 patient died from adriamycin induced cardiomyopathy. Generally therapy was well tolerated. An average of 70-80% of planned drug dosages could be realized without measurable influence of individual differences on outcome.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Neuroblastoma study NBL 79 of the German Society for Pediatric Oncology. Report after 2 years].

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Child↗