Bone Marrow Metastasis of Neuroblastoma Analyzed by MRI and Its Influence on Prognosis

Abstract

Bone marrow metastases (BM mets) of neuroblastoma were analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). BM mets were demonstrated in 45 femurs of 23 patients with neuroblastoma by MRI. They were classified into two patterns, nodular (N) type and diffuse (D) type, on MRI, with an incidence of 16% (7/45) and 84% (38/45), respectively. No bone metastases (B mets) were accompanied by N type BM mets, whereas all of them were accompanied by D type BM mets. The rate of disappearance of N type BM mets after chemotherapy was 100% (7/7) and was significantly higher than that (26%, 10/38) of D type BM mets. The rate of disappearance (58%, 11/19) of BM mets in bones without associated B mets was also significantly higher than that (23%, 6/26) of BM mets in bones with associated B mets. BM mets present in bones with B mets tended to persist after chemotherapy. The survival rate of patients with residual BM mets after chemotherapy was significantly lower than that of patients without residual BM mets. This suggests that powerful systematic chemotherapy and additional targeted therapy to lesions remaining after chemotherapy are needed to improve the cure rate of patients with advanced neuroblastoma.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Receptor Expression Regulates Neuroblastoma Metastasis to Bone

“…Interestingly, SHEP/IGF-IR-injected animals showed signs of intraorbital, not liver, metastasis. These data indicate that intratibial injection of IGF-IR-expressing cells (i.e., IMR32 and SHEP/IGF-IR) produces tumors within bone and two major sites of neuroblastoma metastases (29), the liver and eye, all of which produce IGF-I (30).…”

Insulin-like growth factor I stimulates motility in human neuroblastoma cells

“…The dissemination of NBL throughout bone tissue (rich in IGFs) poses a major obstacle to treating the disease (Tanabe et al, 1995). Here we examine the ability of IGF-I to promote morphological changes and motility in human SH-SY5Y NBL cells, as well as initially characterize the signaling mechanisms utilized by IGF-I to enact these changes.…”

“…Our laboratory is characterizing the mechanisms of IGF-I mediated motility in neuroblastoma (NBL) cells. NBL frequently disseminates through bone tissue, becoming refractory to conventional therapies (Tanabe et al, 1995). As bone produces IGF-I (Mohan and Baylink, 1991), IGF-I may be important for regulating the ability of NBL cells to invade bone.…”

N-Myc overexpression leads to decreased β1 integrin expression and increased apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells

“…Neuroblastic tumors account for 8-10% of all pediatric cancers and are second in incidence among solid tumors in children (Philip, 1992;Castleberry, 1997). Neuroblastoma metastases form through dissemination of transformed cells into the bloodstream and local invasion into bone, leptomeninges, and other organs (Philip, 1992;Tanabe et al, 1995). Although neuroblastoma is treatable, advanced-stage metastatic disease is largely incurable using current treatment protocols (Philip, 1992).…”