[Metastatic neuroblastomas: factors influencing survival]

Sixty-two patients with metastatic neuroblastoma admitted to the Hospital Infantil "Valle de Hebrón" de Barcelona during the period of October 1966-March 1985 are reviewed. The survival rate was 16% with an overall cure rate of 9.6%. The age, sex, site of primary tumor, site of metastases, and urinary catecholamine excretion were not independent prognostic factors. Patients with initial stage I, II or III and late evolution to stage IV had a worse prognostic (survival rate 13%, p less than or equal to 0.05). We compare five treatment protocols. We obtain a better response by a multichemotherapy made of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin, DTIC combined in a sequential order with cis-platin and VM-26. The median survival for this group was 19.9 months and the survival rate 57.1% (p less than 0.001).