Localized dumbbell neuroblastoma: a study of 25 cases treated between 1982 and 1987 using the same protocol

Among the 108 non-metastatic neuroblastomas treated at the Institut Gustave Roussy between 1982 and 1987, 25 dumbbell neuroblastomas were observed. Therapeutics included: 1) an initial laminectomy in forms with neurological deficit; 2) surgical excision of the primary tumor; 3) preoperative chemotherapy in children in which the primary tumor was considered as unresectable at diagnosis and postoperative chemotherapy in cases of incomplete resection; and 4) radiation therapy on macroscopic residual disease. Fifteen out of 25 (60%) presented a neurological deficit. A laminectomy was performed in 14 cases. Neurological recovery was good in 4 cases, partial in 4 cases, and absent in 4 cases. Two patients were worse after the procedure. The event-free survival was 88%. This high survival rate is linked: 1) to the non-metastatic stage; 2) to a high proportion of children under 1 year of age (18/25) (median age = 7 months); and 3) to a high proportion of thoracic location (12/25). The high incidence of macroscopically incomplete excision (13/25) did not jeopardize the prognosis. Out of the 22 survivors, there were 8 cases of major neurological sequellae (36%) and 5 cases of major orthopedic ones (26%). The coexistence of a serious functional prognosis and an excellent vital prognosis for these patients has led us to analyse the therapeutic modalities, to reevaluate the necessity of routine initial neurosurgical removal by laminectomy and to discuss the use of first line chemotherapy.