[LMB chemotherapy for mature B-cell neoplasms in children: a single-center experience]

LMB chemotherapy based on the FAB LMB96 study is internationally accepted as one of the standard treatments for pediatric B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), though experience with this regimen in Japan is very limited. Since 2009, we have administered LMB chemotherapy to children with B-NHL at the National Center for Child Health and Development. Thus, we herein report the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 13 children with B-NHL given LMB chemotherapy.

Median age was 7.5 years. Five patients were girls and 8 were boys. Nine were subclassified as having Burkitt lymphoma and 4 as having diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. According to the St. Jude staging system, 3, 4, 2, 1, and 3 patients had stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and B-ALL disease, respectively. According to the LMB group classification system, nine patients were classified into Group B and four into Group C. At a median follow-up of 2.3 years, all patients are alive without lymphoma relapse. In Group C, myelosuppression and severe mucositis were the main adverse events especially during induction therapy. High-dose methotrexate at a dose of 8 g/m2 was manageable using standard supportive therapy even with 24-hour infusion.

Our experience indicates the feasibility of LMB chemotherapy for Japanese children with B-NHL.