A3961: outcome after reduced chemotherapy for intermediate-risk neuroblastoma
Cutting chemotherapy to four or eight cycles based on tumour biology kept three-year survival above 96 percent in intermediate-risk neuroblastoma, showing these children could be safely treated with substantially less.
Overview
Children's Oncology Group prospective study of 479 children with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma treated with four cycles (favourable biology) or eight cycles (unfavourable biology) of carboplatin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin, with surgery and no radiotherapy for most.
Three-year event-free survival was 88 percent and overall survival 96 percent, similar to historical results with more intensive therapy, with excellent outcomes in the favourable biology group (96 percent overall survival).
- Three-year overall survival 96 percent; event-free survival 88 percent.
- Four cycles sufficient for favourable biology.
Biology-based reduction of chemotherapy is the standard for intermediate-risk neuroblastoma, and the successor trial ANBL0531 reduced it further.
- Non-randomised comparison with historical controls.