Multiagent chemotherapy for children with advanced neuroblastoma. A comparison of high-dose cyclophosphamide, vincristine and adriamycin therapy with James' therapy plus adriamycin.

Abstract

Sixteen children with Stage III and N neuroblastoma were treated using two different chemotherapy protocols; six with a James' therapy plus adriamycin, and ten with a regimen consisting of high-dose cyclophosphamide, vincristine and adriamycin in a nonrandomized fashion. The highdose cyclophosphamide with vincristine and adriamycin appeared to improve the duration of survival; that is, in the patients treated by this protocol, the median survival duration was 25 months, the one-year survival rate was 75% and the three-year survival rate was 50%. On the other hand, none of the patients treated by James' therapy plus adriamycin survived for more than one year. Their median survival was only four months.