Study presents potential new treatment options for pediatric neuroblastoma patients

HOUSTON, April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A nationwide study led by Dr. Jed Nuchtern, chief of the division of pediatric surgery at Texas Children's Hospital, a pediatric surgeon with Texas Children's Cancer Center and professor of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, found that the majority of infants with a particular form of neuroblastoma – a childhood tumor that often requires intensive chemotherapy and surgery – excel in their overall progress and survival when the tumor is monitored without surgical resection.

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The results of the study will be presented at the American Surgical Association's 132nd annual meeting being held in San Francisco from April 26 to 28.

In this 10-year study, surgeons and oncologists who identified babies less than 6 months of age with a small tumor suggestive of neuroblastoma were given the option of immediate surgery or monitoring the baby carefully via ultrasound and urine tests. Overall, 87 babies who had tumors found either prenatally or before 6 months of age were entered into the study.

Of 87 babies, only four underwent surgery immediately – all of whom did well – while 83 were followed carefully for at least 15 months. Of the group that was followed, 16 children had surgery due to changes on one of the screening studies with eight found to have stage one neuroblastoma and only two with higher stages. There were no tumors that required additional intensive chemotherapy. 

Most importantly, the three-year overall survival for the 83 babies who were followed by observation was 100 percent with median follow-up now of three years.  Overall, 81 percent of these young babies on the observation arm were spared the need for surgery. The results of this study reveal that it is safe to carefully observe babies – specifically infants less than 6 months of age – who have a special, small isolated neuroblastoma tumor. 

The investigators are now planning a study that will expand to include patients who are 1 years old at diagnosis and who have larger neuroblastoma tumors. The study was sponsored by the Children's Oncology Group and included participation by more than 100 physicians from more than 75 pediatric programs across the United States and Canada, including Texas Children's Cancer Center.

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's is completing a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston.  For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children's by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Contact: Elizabeth Shackouls
832-824-2108
[email protected] 

SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital