Induction of neuroblastoma maturation by a new chemotherapy protocol

Five patients, 1.5 to 9 years old, were treated at M.D. Anderson Hospital for Stage III of IV neuroblastoma. Each was entered into a chemotherapy protocol which included cyclophosphamide, vincristine, 5-trifluoromethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (F3TdR), and papaverine, and each responded with marked reduction in size of the abdominal tumor mass. All patients then underwent exploratory laparotomy and resection or biopsy of residual tumor. In three cases, histological examination of the treated tumor showed ganglioneuroblastoma with predominance of mature cells; one patient had a mature ganglioneuroma, whereas only necrotic tissue was obtained from the fifth patient. These findings support the hypothesis that this chemotherapy protocol can induce neuroblastoma maturation.