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Preresection chemotherapy improves survival for children with Askin tumors
R S Sawin1, E U Conrad, J R Park
1Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital and Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
Objective:
To test whether patients with Askin tumor treated with aggressive neoadjuvant chemotherapy have a better clinical outcome.
Design:
Retrospective case series.
Setting:
Pediatric referral center.
Patients:
All children diagnosed with malignant small-cell tumors of the chest wall (Askin tumor) and treated from 1975 to September 1987 (phase 1, n = 6) and from September 1987 to the present (phase 2, n = 9).
Main Outcome Measures:
Survival as a function of extent of disease and response to therapy as measured by tumor volume, survival, and recurrence.
Results:
All phase 2 patients had significant reduction of tumor volume and improved survival by Kaplan-Meier estimates compared with phase 1 patients. No phase 1 patients are still alive.
Conclusion:
Patients with Askin tumor treated with aggressive preresection chemotherapy have smaller tumors to resect and improved survival.