More accurate disease classification now means some young children with neuroblastoma will have less intensive treatment with better survival, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
In a pan-European trial, researchers found that screening the tumours of children under the age of one with advanced neuroblastoma for a gene called MYCN could save them from unnecessary chemotherapy. The number of MYCN genes are known to be increased in about 25% of neuroblastomas. Tumours with increased numbers of this gene behave much more aggressively. In this trial, 96% of patients whose neuroblastoma had spread to distant parts of the body but did not have the amplified gene survived five years or more with little or no treatment. Neuroblastoma affects around 90 children each year in the UK and across the board, five-year survival rates are around 60%. Oncologists treated 170 babies with neuroblastoma that had spread to distant parts of the body – but who did not have the amplified MYCN gene in their tumours. These children were treated with up to four courses of chemotherapy. Previously, they would have been treated with up to 12 courses of chemotherapy. Professor Pearson said: “We saw an excellent outcome in the children we treated who were spared extra therapy and the side effects that come with it. Chemotherapy can cause children to feel tired, sick and make it more likely they’ll pick up infections, so it’s very important to avoid this where possible. Our goal is to personalise treatment for children with neuroblastoma.”
